Home Management of Febrile Convulsion among Ghanaian Parents with Children Under Five Years: An Exploratory Case Study

Abstract

Febrile convulsion in children under five years is a common childhood problem, constitutes one of the causes of hospital admissions, and causes anxiety and fear among parents. Empirical information on the condition and how it is managed by parents in Ghana is scarce. This study was therefore, conducted to determine the 5-year (2018-2022) prevalence of the condition, knowledge, and home management of febrile convulsion among parents with children under five years, seeking healthcare for their children in the Holy Family Hospital, Berekum. A mixed method of data collection was used to collect data from 106 participants with interview questionnaires and focus group discussion (FGD) guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS (version 26) and descriptive statistics were used to interpret the findings. Qualitative data consisted of recorded responses from 2 FGDs, transcribed, and analyzed manually in tandem with the study objectives. The average prevalence of febrile convulsion on admission in the study facility was 2.8% for the 5-year period studied. 77.7% of the respondents had low knowledge on signs and symptoms of febrile convulsion. Causes of febrile convulsion according to participants ranged from elevated temperature (81.1%), inheritance (8.9%), evil spirit possession (6.7%) to no idea (3.3%). Home management of the condition included wiping affected child with water, application of herbal concoction, holding child’s legs up with the head down among others. Facility and home management of febrile convulsion are critical to the survival of the affected child. Thus, misconceptions on the causes, signs and symptoms and proper home management and need for facility intervention should be tackled through mass education of parents. Hospital management should also collaborate with media houses to disseminate effective educational information on febrile convulsion and its management among the Ghanaian populace.