Field trials of the Baby Check score card: mothers scoring their babies at home

Article Abstract:

It is difficult for parents to determine the difference between mild and severe illness in infants, and confusion often exists about the need for a physician in such situations. Baby Check is a scoring system, developed for parents and health practitioners, which uses 19 symptoms to judge severity of illness. Higher scores indicate more severe illnesses. To determine if mothers can use it easily and appropriately, two tests of Baby Check use in the home were conducted. In the first study, 104 mothers used the scoring system for one week, while in the second, 56 mothers used it for six months. The index was rated as easy to use. Several checks of symptoms were found by approximately one-third of mothers to be difficult, but the incidence of reported difficulty decreased with further use. Similarly, 40 percent of mothers disliked taking the rectal temperature, but this decreased with experience. Most mothers thought the index was useful and would recommend it to others. The index was trusted by 64 percent of mothers after six months of use, while many ultimately trusted their own judgment. Mothers were most competent in using Baby Check when they were familiar with it, and 71 to 80 percent were rated by nurses as using the score competently. The number of low scores for these normally healthy babies at home was appropriate, and use of Baby Check did not increase the number of mothers seeking medical advice. The study suggests that with appropriate introduction by practitioners, Baby Check can assist mothers in assessing their infants' health. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Usage, Education, Mothers

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Field trials of the Baby Check score card in hospital

Article Abstract:

It can be difficult to determine the severity of illness in infants. Baby Check is a scoring system, developed for parents and health care professionals, which uses a set of 19 symptoms to evaluate the severity of illness; higher scores indicate more severe illnesses. The index was not designed for babies with obvious problems, but for infants with non-specific symptoms. To determine the accuracy of the Baby Check index in identifying seriously ill infants, it was used to assess 262 infants aged under six months who were seen in the hospital with acute illnesses. The infants were generally assessed by two sets of physicians or practitioners, who agreed about the need for hospitalization in 75 percent of cases. The Baby Check score agreed with either of the professionals in 64 to 71 percent of the cases. The highest scores, over 20, were most predictive of serious illnesses, while scores of 9 to 19 indicate intermediate severity of illness with a need for careful assessment. Much variation among practitioners was due to uncertainty about how an illness would progress, and two-thirds of infants admitted were in this category. The study suggests that Baby Check may be useful in evaluating this group of infants, and it may improve the ability to identify those infants who can be safely sent home with good parental care, without increasing risk to the infant. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, Practice, Physicians, Medical professions, Surveys, Pediatrics

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