Mothers’ management of fever of children in Sabzevar

Fever is one of the most frequent disease symptoms and a common cause of emergency admissions in infants and children. Considering the alarming nature of fever and pivotal role of mothers in the management of this symptom in children, this study aimed to evaluate the ability of fever management among mothers in Sabzevar city, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 340 mothers with children aged less than 10 years referring to the healthcare centers of Sabzevar city, Iran in 2014. Data were collected using prepared checklists to assess the performance and ability of mothers in the management of fever. Data analysis was performed in SPSS V.20 using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: In this study, mean score of fever management was 4.65±1.64, and 20.9% of the mothers used antipyretic drugs at the body temperature of 38°C to control the fever of children. In addition, 83.7% of the mothers used antipyretics during the night by waking the children. Our findings were indicative of a significant association between fever management and maternal age (P=0.048), education level (P=0.002), employment status (P<0.001), and referring to community healthcare centers (P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, mothers with low education levels required training to promote their performance and conceptions regarding fever in order for the effective management of this common symptom in children.