Comparing stress levels in children aged 2-8 years and in their accompanying parents during first-time versus repeated voiding cystourethrograms

2008

“Invasive procedures such as voiding cystourethrograms (VCUGs) cause distress in both children and their accompanying parents.”
“The stress levels of children undergoing a repeated VCUG do not differ from those of children undergoing a VCUG for the first time, but parental stress levels were significantly lower during repeated VCUGs.”
“In both VCUG groups, there was significant positive correlation between parental distress-promoting behavior and child distress, and between parental stress levels and child distress. Parental coping-promoting behavior showed no significant correlation with child distress or parental stress levels in either VCUG group. Parental stress levels and parental distress-promoting behavior correlated positively only for repeated VCUGs. Neither parental coping- nor distress-promoting behavior differed between first-time versus repeated VCUG groups.”
Conclusion: “Repeated VCUGs and first-time VCUGs are both highly distressing procedures for children. Even though parental stress levels are lower during repeated VCUGs, spontaneous parental behavior proves to be ineffective or even counterproductive in reducing the child’s distress.”