Child-rearing practices of primary caregivers of children with sickle cell disease: the perspective of professionals and caregivers.
OBJECTIVE
To obtain caregiver and medical professional opinions regarding the child-rearing practices of caregivers of children with sickle cell diseases (SCD).


METHODS
We obtained self-reports of parenting practices from 48 caregivers of children with SCD and 48 caregivers of matched classroom comparison peers using the Child-Rearing Practices Report (CRPR). CRPR ratings were also obtained from 12 experts in pediatric SCD regarding their predictions of how a parent of a child with SCD would respond. The experts predicted differences in protectiveness, discipline, and excessive worry. Objective interim and lifetime illness severity scores were obtained for the children with SCD.


RESULTS
Caregivers showed similarity between the two groups, disagreement with the experts, and minimal relationship to illness severity.


CONCLUSIONS
Experts who work with children with chronic illnesses such as SCD seem to have stereotyped ideas that do not correspond with parental reports of their child-rearing practices, suggesting the need for careful clinical evaluations.
Noll
R B
RB
Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.
McKellop
J M
JM
Vannatta
K
K
Kalinyak
K
K
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002668:Child Rearing / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012803:Sick Role