Abstract
BACKGROUND: Parents of children with hydrocephalus play a crucial role in recognizing the early signs of shunt-related complications and to prevent morbidity and mortality. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention among the parents of children with hydrocephalus and shunt. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantitative, quasi-experimental one group pretest-posttest design was used for the study. Twenty parents of children (<5 years) with ventricular shunt were selected by non-probability convenience sampling technique from pediatric neurosurgery outpatient department of tertiary care hospital, Kerala, India. Tool 1 was used to assess the demographic and clinical variables of the sample and the child and tool 2 was the structured knowledge questionnaire on home care management of children with hydrocephalus and shunt. RESULTS: The difference in the mean pretest-posttest knowledge score was statistically significant at P < 0.01. There was a significant association between the mean knowledge score of the sample and the age of the mother, the age of the mother at pregnancy, and the previous knowledge from various sources. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the parent-centered education was effective in improving the knowledge of parents regarding care of children with hydrocephalus and shunt. It helps them to extend the care of these children from hospital to home and hence improve their quality of life.