Economic and psychologic costs for maternal caregivers of gastrostomy-dependent children.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the economic and psychologic costs of care provided by maternal caregivers to children with gastrostomy tube (GT) feedings.


METHODS
We conducted a 3-site study of primary maternal caregivers of 101 chronically ill children, with (n = 50) and without (n = 51) enteral nutrition support by GT to determine the time spent providing technical care, nontechnical care, and health care management and to assess depressive mood and quality of life. Associated costs were determined.


RESULTS
Caregivers spent 339.7 +/- 34.1 (SEM) min/d to provide all care. Children with a GT required more than twice as much care time as children without a GT: 484.5 +/- 54.6 versus 197.8 +/- 30.6 min/d ( P < .0001). The mean annual total value of home care by the primary caregiver for a child with a GT was 37,232 dollars, compared with 15,004 dollars for the child without a GT. Caregivers of children with GT were no more depressed or less satisfied with their lives than caregivers of children without GT.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of a GT for enteral nutrition support is associated with significant increased care time by the primary caregiver but not at additional psychologic cost compared with caring for chronically ill children.
Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, 94143-0136, USA. mheyman@peds.ucsf.edu <mheyman@peds.ucsf.edu>
Melvin B
MB
Heyman
Paul
P
Harmatz
Michael
M
Acree
Leslie
L
Wilson
Judith Tedlie
JT
Moskowitz
Steve
S
Ferrando
Susan
S
Folkman
D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology*; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors