ORCID
- Maramba, Inocencio: 0000-0002-5464-6021
- Zhou, Shang-Ming: 0000-0002-0719-9353
- Latour, Jos: 0000-0002-8087-6461
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a need to empower parents and carers of young infants to recognise signs of serious illness and to act on these appropriately. Compiling the signs and symptoms of serious illness in infants found in clinical guidelines will support the evidence-based update of the 30+-year-old content of the Baby Check App to empower parents and carers.
OBJECTIVE: To systematically review clinical guidelines for signs and symptoms related to serious illness in infants aged 6 months and below.
METHODS: A rapid review was carried out by searching PubMed, CINAHL, NICE, Cochrane and Embase for clinical guidelines reporting signs and symptoms of serious illness in young infants. The time period was restricted from 2018 to 2023. Only guidelines published in English were included.
RESULTS: Fourteen clinical guidelines from 2307 retrieved articles were reviewed. Sixty signs and symptoms indicative of serious illness in infants were identified from the clinical guidelines. The guidelines originated from the UK (n=9, 65%), Italy (n=1, 7%), South Africa (n=1, 7%), Switzerland (n=1, 7%), USA (n=1, 7%), UK and USA (n=1, 7%). The 10 most frequent signs and symptoms were decreased consciousness, tachypnoea, looks seriously unwell to a health professional, high fever, central cyanosis, apnoea, seizures, frequent vomiting, non-blanching rash and noisy breathing.
CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of the most frequently occurring signs and symptoms that were found in the reviewed guidelines will contribute to the update of the content of the Baby Check App. This will ensure that guidance for parents and carers is consistent with the current evidence base.
DOI
10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002737
Publication Date
2024-07-29
Publication Title
BMJ Paediatrics Open
Volume
8
Issue
1
Organisational Unit
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Keywords
Humans, Infant, Practice Guidelines as Topic/standards, Infant, Newborn, Critical Illness/therapy, information technology, Practice Guidelines as Topic - standards, Critical Illness - therapy, child health, infant
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Maramba, I., Lim, E., Menzies, J., Nijman, R., Zhou, S., & Latour, J. (2024) 'Signs and symptoms of serious illness in infants aged up to 6 months', BMJ Paediatrics Open, 8(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002737
