Caring for a child with a lower respiratory tract infection: Parents’ perspectives

Abstract

Background: Parents are intricately involved in managing their child’s lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). While medical and physiotherapy management of childhood respiratory infections has been studied, little is known about parents’ perspectives on the condition and its care.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and challenges of parents of children with LRTI concerning medical and physiotherapy management.
Method: Parents of children under 3 years with LRTIs were invited to participate in a qualitative exploratory study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Each interview was coded, and deductive thematic analysis was used to identify themes.
Results: Data saturation was reached after 10 interviews and confirmed after 12 interviews. The mean ages of participants and their children were 34.3 (standard deviation [s.d.] ± 4.9) years and 18.8 (s.d. ± 6.5) months, respectively. The codes that emerged formed sub-themes within a main theme, which was labelled ‘It is tough taking care of a sick child’. The sub-themes identified were ‘personal challenges’, ‘treatment options’ and ‘parent understanding’.
Conclusion: Parents still felt ineffective and stressed about taking care of their child’s LRTI, despite the integral role that they play in the management of their child’s respiratory condition. Timely access to a multidisciplinary team of paediatric healthcare professionals who practice family-centred care positively influences the experience of caring for a sick child.
Clinical implications: Understanding parent perspectives will help healthcare professionals enhance a family-centred care approach, leading to better health outcomes.