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.

• 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
• Contract Date: Dec 2, 2016