du Plessis K, Peters R, King I, Robertson K, Mackley J, Maree R, Stanley T, Pickford L, Rose B, Orchard M, Stewart H, d'Udekem Y. "Will she live a long happy life?" Parents' concerns for their children with Fontan circulation.
Int J Cardiol Heart Vasc 2018;
18:65-70. [PMID:
29876506 PMCID:
PMC5988481 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijcha.2018.02.008]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Background
Families of children at the worst end of the congenital heart disease endure a significant burden which is often not clearly delineated in the clinical literature. We examined the greatest concerns of parents whose children have a Fontan circulation.
Methods
Parents (N = 107) of children in the Australian and New Zealand Fontan Registry completed online surveys with open-ended and closed questions. A qualitative method approach incorporating thematic analyses was used.
Results
The greatest concerns for parents of a child with a Fontan circulation were centered on fear of death for their child and psychosocial well-being, followed by lesser themes around anti-coagulation use, pregnancy and financial burdens.
Conclusions
Fear of death and the psychological well-being of their children were the main parental concerns. It highlights the need to clearly communicate information on outcomes to families, and the need for family-focused psychological interventions to improve the psychosocial functioning of both parents and young people.
Fontan parents' greatest concern for their child is fear of death and well-being.
Clear communication around outcomes could help alleviate these fears.
It highlights the need for psychological support for parents and young people.
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