Journal Article

Parents’ experiences with a sick or injured child during the COVID-19 lockdown: an online survey in the Netherlands

Neill, Sarah, Chynoweth, Jade, Carter, Rachel, Jones, Ray B, Borensztajn, Dorine M, Lutgert, Eveline K, Lakhanpaul, Monica, Tan, Chantal D, Moll, Henriette A

2021

Overview

ObjectiveTo assess the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on parents’ health-seeking behaviour and care for a sick or injured child in the Netherlands.Design and settingAn online survey on parents’ experiences with a sick or injured child during the COVID-19 lockdown periods was disseminated through social media.ParticipantsParents living in the Netherlands with a sick or injured child during the lockdown periods from March to June 2020 and from December 2020 to February 2021 were eligible to participate.Outcome measuresDescriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse family and children’s characteristics, parents’ response to a sick or injured child, and the perceived impact of the lockdown on child’s severity of illness and treatment reported by parents. Analyses were stratified for children with and without chronic conditions.ResultsOf the 105 parents who completed the survey, 83% reported they would have sought medical help before lockdown compared with 88% who did seek help during lockdown for the same specific medical problem. Parents reported that changes in health services affected their child’s severity of illness (31%) and their treatment (39%), especially for children with chronic conditions. These changes included less availability of healthcare services and long waiting lists, which mostly led to worsening of the child’s illness. During lockdown, there was no change in health-seeking behaviour by parents of children with a chronic condition (N=51) compared with parents of children without a chronic condition.ConclusionParents in the Netherlands who completed the survey were not deterred from seeking medical help for their sick or injured child during the COVID-19 lockdown periods. However, changes in health services affected child’s severity of illness and treatment, especially for children with chronic conditions.

• Publisher: British Medical Journal Publishing Group,BMJ Publishing Group LTD,BMJ Publishing Group
• Subject: Child & adolescent mental health / Children & youth / Childrens health / Chronic illnesses / community child health / Consent / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / Data collection / Health care policy / Health services / Mental health / Paediatrics / Pandemics / Parents & parenting / Pediatrics / Polls & surveys / Population / Questionnaires / Shelter in place / Social networks / Social research