Brain Dev. 2025 Sep 21;47(5):104445. doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2025.104445. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Febrile seizure (FS) is a worrisome event for parents. This study aimed to investigate how stress and perceived stigma are alleviated after experience FS in their children.
METHODS: Parents who visited hospitals because of FS exhibited by their children were invited to participate this study. One hundred and sixty-one parents answered the questionnaire (1st Q); among them, 52 parents answered the same questionnaire (2nd Q) after 3 months. The questionnaire consisted of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Parent Stigma Scale (PSS). The scores between the 1st Q and 2nd Q were compared with 52 participants who answered both questionnaires.
RESULTS: The median value of the IES-R total score was 11, and 20 participants showed >24 in the 1st Q (n = 161). IES-R subscales of Intrusion and Hyperarousal symptoms and one item of PSS, “people who know your children have a FS treat your children differently”, decreased significantly (p<0.010, p = 0.013 and p = 0.038, respectively) from the 1st Q (n = 52) to 2nd Q (n = 52). Parents with children having a past history of FS showed significantly higher PSS scores than parents with children having first FS episode (p = 0.029) in the 1st Q (n = 161). Parents who had some knowledge about FS could deal significantly more appropriately with FS attacks compared with those who had no prior knowledge (p<0.001) in both the 1st Q (n = 161) and 2nd Q (n = 52).
CONCLUSIONS: Stress and stigma in parents were reduced to some extent 3 months after the FS attacks in their children. Recurrent FS can cause a transient perception of parental stigma. Appropriate education regarding correct management before experiencing the first episode of FS may be important.
PMID:40983041 | DOI:10.1016/j.braindev.2025.104445
