Safety net advice for parents and carers
Parents and carers are usually the first to
detect their child is unwell. Parents will
describe changes in behaviour, food refusal,
increased sleepiness and the child’s body
feeling warm. Parents worry about fever
and its potential complications, and some
think that fever may cause brain damage
and seizures, ultimately leading to fatality
(Crocetti et al 2001, El-Radhi 2008). Crocetti
et al (2001) identified that parents manifest
‘fever phobia’, a term first described by
Schmitt (1980). Crocetti et al (2001) identified
that parents’ anxiety may be heightened by
their lack of knowledge about the valuable role
of fever in illness. NICE (2013) acknowledge
the importance of taking parent concerns
about their child seriously, citing the need for
assessment when a parent reports that their
child appears to be unwell.
Some parents are confident in caring
for their child, while others will seek help
from healthcare professionals. Therefore,
it is important to provide consistent and
appropriate health education and advice to