Implementation matters: Parental presence during repeated painful procedures: a complicated matter

Abstract

First paragraph: Whether or not parents are allowed to be present during intensive, painful medical procedures is still a debated topic within the pediatric pain literature. Fueling this debate is the inconclusive evidence on the effect of parental presence during medical procedures: while some studies report positive associations between parental presence and parent and child anxiety, others report negative associations and some no association at all9 . Within clinical contexts, these inconsistencies have led to an absence of standard practice on parental presence during invasive medical procedures with each hospital implementing its own policy based on convenience and formerly implemented policies, which are possibly outdated. To date, little is known about parental needs and their desire to be present. Yet, preliminary evidence suggests that parents prefer to be given a choice whether or not to be present during medical procedures5 . While these needs should be appreciated, research delineating which parents and children are likely to benefit from parental presence versus absence is needed.