You know that parental instinct that kicks in when something goes wrong with your child? Even when I text my mom friends or check in with my partner angrily, I don’t think I’m feeling anxious. Maybe something is really wrong. Well, your intuition is likely to be correct. JAMA Network Parents were found to be correct nine times out of 10 when they suspected their child was seriously ill or injured.
During the study, researchers followed 2,400 children and teens who were treated in the emergency room of Oulu University Hospital in Finland. Parents of all children completed 36 questions as part of their child’s treatment. The researchers were testing whether families could decide at home whether an ER visit was really necessary by providing the questionnaire in digital format.
In the end, the survey was not deemed accurate enough to replace a doctor’s assessment, but the researchers discovered some very impressive data points they hadn’t expected. Parents’ self-reported “worry” is one of the strongest predictors of serious illness and is even more telling than questions about specific symptoms.
Parents who answered the survey as moderately to very anxious were justified in their feelings, with 91% of the respondents’ children requiring emergency room treatment. Those treatments ranged from IV antibiotics and oxygen to admission to a pediatric intensive care unit and even surgery.
“Parental concerns are an important red flag,” says lead researcher Dr Hilla Poiriy, a pediatric specialist at the University of Oulu., In a press release. “If a parent is concerned about a child’s acute medical condition, the child should be given the opportunity to seek medical attention. Concerned parents should not be left alone with a remote assessment of their child’s condition.”
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should call 911 right away if your child:
- I can’t breathe
- suffocate with something you can’t escape from
- have a seizure
- have a severe allergic reaction
- If you have severe skin burns or escape from a burning room in an enclosed space.
- Serious injuries such as broken bones, contusions to limbs, and deep wounds
- ingest something toxic
- I’m bleeding and it won’t stop
- It was found that there was no reaction even when placed in water.
- lose consciousness
- Witnessing or being a victim of a serious crime
Consistent with the results of this new study, the AAP also says that if you don’t know what the problem is but think your child is in danger, please call 911. So, if you feel anxious in your heart, don’t give it a second thought. It’s up to doctors around the world to tell us if something is really wrong, and we know enough about children to know that something is wrong.
