Medicine dosing by weight in the home: Can parents accurately weigh preschool children? A method comparison study

Montgomery, Alan A.; Redmond, Niamh M.; Peters, Tim J.; Hay, Alastair D.; Costelloe, C�ire; Fletcher, Margaret; Hollinghurst, Sandra

Abstract

Objective: To determine the accuracy with which parents can estimate preschool children's weight using home scales in order to calculate antipyretic dose. Design: Cross-sectional, method comparison study. Setting and participants: 156 preschool children aged 6 months to 6 years recruited from primary care and the community to an antipyretic strategies trial and managed at home. Comparison and outcome measures: Research nurse weight estimate using Seca 835-2 digital paediatric scales compared with parental weight estimate using usual home scales. Results: Parents of 62 (40%) preschool children had home scales. Research scale estimated weights were heavier than home scale weight estimates, with a mean difference of 0.41 kg (95% CI -0.24 to 0.74 kg), with 95% limits of agreement of -2.44 to 1.47 kg. Conclusion: Weight can be estimated accurately enough to calculate antipyretic medicine doses by the minority of parents having scales that can be used to estimate their child's weight.

Citation

Hay, A. D., Peters, T. J., Redmond, N. M., Montgomery, A. A., Costelloe, C., Fletcher, M., & Hollinghurst, S. (2011). Medicine dosing by weight in the home: Can parents accurately weigh preschool children? A method comparison study. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 96(12), 1187-1190. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2011-300600

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Sep 6, 2011
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 2, 2016
• Journal: Archives of Disease in Childhood
• Print ISSN: 0003-9888
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-2044
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 96
• Issue: 12
• Pages: 1187-1190
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2011-300600
• Keywords: medicine dosing by weight, home, preschool children
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/967734
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2011-300600
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Available online before print: 10/08/11