Parent's Experiences of Their Children Suffering Febrile Seizures

Abstract

Purpose: To explore parents' experiences of their child suffering febrile seizures.

Design and method: Seven mothers and four fathers with experience of one or several febrile seizures in their children were interviewed. A qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was performed.

Result: Five themes emerged; emotional experiences, in terms of anxiety and fear, and need for control, need for support, need for acknowledgement and need for comfort. Professional assurance and support from healthcare staff was considered important to help parents handle the situation.

Conclusion: Febrile seizure caused anxiety due to parents' lack of comprehension about the event and how to act during the seizure.

Practice implications: The pediatric nurse plays an important role in gaining the trust of and supporting parents whose children have suffered febrile seizures. They can alleviate concerns that arise, and also generate assured and well informed parents, who are better prepared to deal with recurrent febrile seizures.

Keywords: Febrile seizure; Fever phobia; Parents; Pediatric care.