title: Psychosocial impact of childhood face burns: a multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study of 390 children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This two-year longitudinal study of the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children with face burns was conducted in three regional pediatric burn care centers. Subjects were 390 children less than 18 years old at injury, admitted for burn treatment from September 2001 to December 2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  HRQoL was assessed using the age-specific Burn Outcomes Questionnaire (BOQ) administered at scheduled time points following discharge up to 24 months thereafter. A psychosocial score was determined from domains of the BOQ, and these scores from children with both face burns and grafts were compared to those of children with non-face burns or with face burns but no face grafts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The parents of both the 0-4 year olds and the 5-18 year olds, who had facial burns and grafts, reported decreased BOQ psychosocial scores. When the teenagers (11-18 year olds) with facial burns and grafts filled out the BOQ themselves, they also reported low psychosocial scores compared to those with no facial burns with grafts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe face burn influences HRQoL in children. Additional psychosocial support is suggested to enhance recovery for patients with severe face burns and their families during the years following injury.
authors.affiliation: Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA. kstubbs@shrinenet.org
authors.forename: Teresa Kim
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Stubbs
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Daugherty
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Epperson
authors.forename: Kymberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Barajaz
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Blakeney
authors.forename: Walter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Tina L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kagan
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002056:Burns / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology