The needs of families of children with heart disease

Unmet supportive care needs in families of children with chronic health conditions: an Australian cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to identify similarities and differences in the unmet supportive care needs (USCN) of families of children with major chronic health conditions (CHCs) using a universal need assessment tool.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey involving parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD), type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D), cancer, and asthma diagnosed within the last 5 years recruited via social media and support organizations. Thirty-four items assessing the USCN across six domains (care needs, physical and social needs, informational needs, support needs, financial needs, child-related emotional needs) were responded to on a 4-point Likert scale [no need (1) to high need (4)]. Descriptive statistics identified the level of need, and linear regressions identified factors associated with higher need domain scores. Due to small numbers, the asthma group was excluded from comparisons across CHCs.

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety-four parents completed the survey (CHD: n = 97, T1D: n = 50, cancer: n = 39, and asthma: n = 8). Parents of children with cancer were most likely to report at least one USCN (92%), followed by parents of children with T1D (62%). The five most commonly reported USCN across CHCs were drawn from four domains: child-related emotional, support, care, and financial. Three need items were included in the top five needs for all conditions. A higher USCN was associated with a greater frequency of hospital visits and the absence of parental support.

CONCLUSIONS

Using a universal need assessment tool, this is one of the first studies to characterize USCN in families of children diagnosed with common CHCs. While proportions endorsing different needs varied across conditions, the most endorsed needs were similar across the illness groups. This suggests that support programs or services could be shared across different CHCs. Video Abstract.

Information needs of parents of children with congenital anomalies across Europe: a EUROlinkCAT survey

BACKGROUND

Parents of children who have a congenital anomaly can experience significant worry about their child's health. Access to clear, helpful, and trustworthy information can provide a valuable source of support. In this study the aim was to explore the information needs of parents/carers of children with congenital anomalies across Europe.

METHOD

A cross-sectional online survey was developed in nine languages to measure parents' information needs, including: (1) the 'helpfulness'/'trustworthiness' of information received from eight relevant sources, and (2) overall satisfaction with information received. Parents/carers of children (0-10 years) with cleft lip, spina bifida, congenital heart defect [CHD] requiring surgery, and/or Down syndrome were recruited online via relevant organisations in 10 European countries from March-July 2021. Quantitative analyses using multivariable logistic regressions were performed.

RESULTS

One thousand seventy parents/carers of children with a cleft lip (n = 247), spina bifida (n = 118), CHD (n = 366), Down syndrome (n = 281), and Down syndrome with CHD (n = 58) were recruited in Poland (n = 476), the UK (n = 120), Germany (n = 97), the Netherlands/Belgium (n = 74), Croatia (n = 68), Italy (n = 59), other European countries (n = 92), and not specified/non-European countries (n = 84). Most participants were mothers (92%) and aged 31-40 years (71%). Participants were most likely to rate support groups (63%), patient organisations (60%), specialist doctors/nurses (58%), and social media (57%) as 'very helpful' information sources. 'Very trustworthy' ratings remained high for specialist doctors/nurses (61%), however, they declined for support groups (47%), patient organisations (48%), and social media (35%). Germany had the highest proportion of participants who were 'very satisfied' (44%, 95% CI = 34%-54%) with information, whereas this percentage was lowest in Croatia (11%, 95% CI = 3%-19%) and Poland (15%, 95% CI = 11%-18%). Parents of children with Down syndrome had significantly lower satisfaction ratings than parents of children with CHD; 13% (95% CI = 8%-18%) reported being 'very satisfied' compared to 28% (95% CI = 23%-33%) in the CHD group.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that informal sources of information (e.g. support groups) are of value to parents, however, they are not deemed as trustworthy as specialist medical sources. Satisfaction ratings differed across countries and by anomaly, and were particularly low in Croatia and Poland, as well as for parents of children with Down syndrome, which warrants further investigation.

Needs for Post-hospital Education among Parents of Infants and Toddlers with Congenital Heart Disease

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to investigate the educational needs of parents of infants and toddlers with congenital heart disease (CHD) after hospital discharge.

METHODS

Qualitative content analysis was conducted of in-depth interviews of eight parents, and the results of an online survey of 171 parents were analyzed quantitatively.

RESULTS

Only 16.4% of parents reported that they had received education after hospital discharge on how to provide care for a child with CHD at home. The main reason why parents did not receive education on this topic was that they did not have sufficient opportunities or information (75.5%). In addition, 97.1% of parents stated that they needed educational programs that would be available at home after discharge. In terms of specific educational content, parents expressed the highest needs for education on the symptoms of CHD and ways to cope with them, the prognosis of CHD, and the growth and development of infants and toddlers with CHD.

CONCLUSION

The study showed that parents' educational needs were high in many ways. However, the information and educational opportunities offered after discharge were insufficient compared to those needs. Further research is needed to develop post-hospital educational programs that meet their needs.

Parental perception of functional status and impact on the family of children with congenital heart surgery

AIMS

To assess the functional status and the family impact of children with congenital heart defects (CHD), using the parental Functional Status II (FS-II) and the Impact on Family (IOF) questionnaires.

METHODS

In this prospective observational study, parents of children who underwent surgery for CHD during the first year of life completed the FS-II and the IOF questionnaires. Genetic syndromes and prematurity <32weeks were exclusion criteria. The FS-II generates a total score and age specific general health (GH), activity (A) and, responsiveness (R) subscales. The IOF generates a total scale and financial and sibling subscales.

RESULTS

Our cohort (n=100), comprised 54% males; the median (IQR) age was 32 (10-56) months. Eighteen children had age-specific scores in the 1-2 SD below mean range (n=17) or more than 2 SD below the mean (n=1) for "ill children". There were significant negative correlations between the total FS-II and total IOF (r=-0.35, p<0.001) and financial IOF (r=-0.35, p<0.001). RACHS-1 category of CHD 4-6 was associated with higher likelihood of lower functional status.

CONCLUSIONS

More complex CHD was associated with lower functional status, which correlated with a greater impact on the families. Parental questionnaires may be useful instruments for developmental surveillance in this population.

Families of children with congenital heart disease: A literature review

In 2000 and 2002, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute launched two initiatives to encourage treatment innovations and research on children with heart disease and their families. Since then, no systematic reviews have examined the evidence regarding the impacts of having a child with congenital heart disease (CHD) on families. This review synthesized key findings regarding families of children with CHD, critiqued research methods, described what has been done, and provided recommendations for future inquiry. Databases searched included PubMed, CINAHL, Family & Society Studies Worldwide, Women's Studies International, and PsycINFO. The literature search followed the PRISMA guidelines. As a result, ninety-four articles were reviewed. Four major themes were derived: parents' psychological health, family life, parenting challenges, and family-focused interventions. In conclusion, while they found parents having psychological symptoms, researchers did not explore parents' appraisals of what led to their symptoms. Research is needed to explore parents' experiences and expectations.

Social impact on families of children with complex congenital heart disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The care of children with complex congenital heart disease creates emo.tional and financial hardships for their families. We evaluated the social impact on families of patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) who underwent single ventricle repair.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Cross-sectional survey conducted at the pediatric cardiology outpatient department at Prince Sultan Cardiac Center-Qassim (PSCC-Q).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All patients diagnosed and treated for complex CHD of single ventricle patho.physiology and seen in the pediatric cardiology at PSCC-Q were eligible for the study. Families of these patients completed a questionnaire conducted by one interviewer. The Impact on Family Scale (IFS) questionnaire of Stein and Riessman was instituted. Patients were divided into two groups according to the cardiac diagnosis and the requirement for medical or surgical management. The first group included patients with CHD who do not need any medical or surgical intervention, .e.g. tiny VSD or small ASD. The second group included patients with complex CHD with single ventricle pathophysiology who underwent Glenn and/or Fontan procedures. The mean impact on family scores was compared among the different groups by two sample t test analysis.

RESULTS

Families of 41 children with CHD were interrogated during the study period from September 2011 to February 2012. Patients were divided into two groups. Group one (20 patients, 49%) with simple CHD and group two (21 patients, 51%) with complex CHD who are managed in the univentricular tract. Families of chil.dren who underwent single ventricle repair had significantly higher IFS (mean and standard deviation of 62 [7]) than families with minor heart disease (mean of 51 [4]) (P=.005).

CONCLUSION

Families of patients who underwent single ventricle repair have significant social impact be.cause of their child illness. A supporting public group should be initiated and encouraged.

The perceptions of caregivers toward physical activity and health in youth with congenital heart disease

Medical advances have reduced mortality in youth with congenital heart disease (CHD). Although physical activity is associated with enhanced quality of life, most patients are inactive. By addressing medical and psychological barriers, previous literature has reproduced discourses of individualism which position cardiac youth as personally responsible for physical inactivity. Few sociological investigations have sought to address the influence of social barriers to physical activity, and the insights of caregivers are absent from the literature. In this study, caregiver perceptions toward physical activity for youth with CHD were investigated at a Canadian hospital. Media representations, school liability, and parental overprotection construct cardiac youth as "at risk" during physical activity, and position their health precariously. Indeed, from the perspective of hospital staff, the findings indicate the centrality of sociological factors to the physical activity experiences of youth with CHD, and the importance of attending to the contextual barriers that constrain their health and physical activity.

Constantly Responsible, Constantly Worried, Constantly Blessed: Parenting after Pediatric Heart Transplant

Context

Very little research has focused on the long-term caregiving demands associated with parenting a child after a transplant or on the parents' perceptions of those demands.

Purpose

To describe parents' experiences parenting a school-aged child after heart transplant.

Design

Focused ethnography.

Participants and Setting

Eleven parents of children who had undergone heart transplant 2 or more years before the study were recruited from a large children's hospital.

Data Collection and Analysis

Parents were interviewed in a private location of their choice. Verbatim interview transcripts were analyzed by using content analysis and constant comparison.

Results

The parents described their experiences in positive terms, yet acknowledged hardships. Key themes included (1) constantly responsible, (2) constantly worried, (3) constantly blessed, and (4) coping with life. The identified themes provide direction for interventions to help parents cope with the experience of parenting a child after heart transplant.