Perceived child vulnerability in mothers of epileptic children and healthy children with or without epileptic siblings and related factors

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the perceptions of the mothers who have epileptic children, healthy children with epileptic siblings, and healthy children without epileptic siblings regarding their children's vulnerability and related factors. Material and Methods: This analytical-cross-sectional study was performed with 180 mothers in Aydın Adnan Menderes University Hospital and T.C. Aydın Provincial Health Directorate Efeler Family Health Center I between April 1 and December 1, 2022. Data were self-reported by the mothers and collected with the Mother Information Form, the Healthy Child Information Form, the Epileptic Child Information Form and the Child Vulnerability Scale (CVS). Obtained data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Student's t test, One Way ANOVA test, Pearson correlation, linear regression and post hoc tests (Tukey, LSD). Results: The mean CVS score of the mothers with epileptic children was 11,43 ±4,03 and 45% of them perceived their children as vulnerable. The mean CVS score of the mothers of healthy children with an epileptic sibling was 7,51 ±4,23 and 25% of them perceived their healthy children as vulnerable. The mean CVS score of the mothers of healthy children was 2,25 ±3,26 and 5% of them perceived their children as vulnerable. Hospitalization of the child in the intensive care unit and prior experience of loss of a child increased the mothers' perceived child vulnerability. However, as the education level of the mothers increased, their perceived child vulnerability decreased. Conclusion: About half of the mothers with epileptic children perceived their children as vulnerable. One fourth of the mothers with epileptic children perceived healthy siblings of their epileptic children as vulnerable. In clinical practice, special attention should be paid to parents' beliefs about the vulnerability of not only their chronically ill children but also their healthy children. Key Words: Chronic Disease, Siblings, Vulnerability, Children, Epilepsy