title: Medicine dosing by weight in the home: can parents accurately weigh preschool children? A method comparison study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the accuracy with which parents can estimate preschool children's weight using home scales in order to calculate antipyretic dose.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, method comparison study.
  
  
  METHODS
  156 preschool children aged 6 months to 6 years recruited from primary care and the community to an antipyretic strategies trial and managed at home. COMPARISON AND OUTCOME MEASURES: Research nurse weight estimate using Seca 835-2 digital paediatric scales compared with parental weight estimate using usual home scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents of 62 (40%) preschool children had home scales. Research scale estimated weights were heavier than home scale weight estimates, with a mean difference of 0.41 kg (95% CI -0.24 to 0.74 kg), with 95% limits of agreement of -2.44 to 1.47 kg.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weight can be estimated accurately enough to calculate antipyretic medicine doses by the minority of parents having scales that can be used to estimate their child's weight.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Primary Health Care, NIHR National School for Primary Care Research, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK. ceire.costelloe@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: Céire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costelloe
authors.forename: Alan A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Niamh M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Redmond
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hollinghurst
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Alastair D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Hay
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D058633:Antipyretics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D058633:Antipyretics; D000082:Acetaminophen; D007052:Ibuprofen