The effects of maternal presence during anesthesia induction on the mother's anxiety and changes in children's behavior

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate whether maternal presence during induction has additional beneficial effects on a mother's anxiety or changes in the child's behavior when an information booklet was given to all mothers and premedication was given to all patients. One hundred children, aged 2-10 years, scheduled for ambulatory surgery were randomly assigned to a mother-present (Group M) or mother-absent group (Group C) after premedication with intranasal midazolam. All mothers were informed about general anesthesia with a detailed information booklet. Preoperatively (pre) and one week after the operation (post), maternal anxiety was assessed using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Posthospitalization Behavior Questionnaire (PHBQ) was used to measure changes in children's behavior. Anesthesia was induced using sevoflurane-oxygen-nitrous oxide inhalation. The anesthesiologist graded the level of the children's stress at anesthesia induction with a four-point scale. There were no differences between the two groups regarding demographics, anxiety levels of the mothers and postoperative behavioral changes and stress scores of the children (p>0.05 between the groups *p<0.005 within groups). In summary, maternal presence during induction in addition to premedication for children and information booklets for mothers had no additive effects in terms of reducing the mother's or the child's anxiety or postoperative behavioral changes.