Assessment of Parents' Knowledge about Home Management of Children with Epilepsy

Background: Epilepsy is a complex, chronic disorder that significantly impacts the physical, psychological, and social well-being of affected children. Inappropriate management during seizures can lead to severe complications.
Aim: This study aimed to assess parents' knowledge regarding the home management of children with epilepsy.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed, utilizing a non-probability convenience sampling technique to recruit 40 parents of children with epilepsy from the Middle Euphrates Center for Neurological Science/Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital. Data collection occurred between August 2022 and May 2023. The study instrument consisted of (1) parents' socio-demographic characteristics and (2) a questionnaire assessing parents' knowledge across three domains related to epilepsy management.
Results: The findings indicated that parents' knowledge ranged from poor to moderate, with no significant associations between parents' knowledge and their demographic characteristics.
Conclusion: Parents exhibited poor knowledge in the treatment domain and moderate knowledge in preventive measures during and after seizures.
Recommendations: Continuous and repetitive health education programs should be provided to parents, particularly mothers, to improve their understanding of epilepsy.