Parental perceptions and home management of pyrexia in children in a malaria endemic area

Fever is one of the most common symptoms of disease in children, accompanies a range of illnesses and is often treated at home before medical attention is sought. An investigation of fever management among parents of children under five was carried out to evaluate parental perception. Parents of 1143 children were randomly selected and interviewed to answer a questionnaire about fever. Majority of parents (63%) perceived fever to be hotness of the body and had no idea of the normal body temperature and so did not use a thermometer. 621 parents representing 54% irrespective of their educational qualification and age suspected malaria as the most likely cause of fever which made them act within 24 h by administering antimalarial drugs at home without medical diagnosis. Parents felt that an untreated fever could result in convulsion (16%) and even death (14%) which informed some harmful practices. The educational level of parents was statistically insignificant (p>0.05) and had no bearing on the knowledge of fever while the age of parents had a strong correlation with their perception and fever management. Based on the outcome of this study, there is a need for appropriate education to prevent the abuse of antimalarial drugs and also to stop some crude and harmful practice employed to arrest a convulsive child.