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Arch Dis Child 2006;91:977-980 doi:10.1136/adc.2006.096073
  • Original article

Perceptions of parents on the participation of their infants in clinical research

  1. A Gammelgaard1,
  2. L E Knudsen2,
  3. H Bisgaard3
  1. 1Department of Medical Philosophy and Clinical Theory, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark
  2. 2Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  3. 3Danish Paediatric Asthma Centre, Department of Paediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark
  1. Correspondence to:
    A Gammelgaard
    Department of Medical Philosophy and Clinical Theory, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark;a.gammelgaard{at}medphil.ku.dk
  • Accepted 28 June 2006
  • Published Online First 4 July 2006

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the motivations and perceptions of parents on the participation of their infants and young children in a comprehensive and invasive clinical research study.

Methods: Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 23 mothers with asthma whose infants and young children were participating in the Copenhagen Prospective Study on Asthma in Childhood. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed using the template analysis method.

Results: Parents were motivated by altruism and by the opportunity to get their child checked regularly by medical experts to prevent the possible development of asthma. Parents found it very important that their children enjoyed their visits to the research clinic, and that they could withdraw from the study if their child started responding negatively to those visits. No apparent difference was seen in the attitude between the parents of children with lung or skin symptoms and those of healthy children.

Conclusions: It is possible to design and accomplish invasive clinical research on infants and young children in a manner that parents find ethically sound.

Footnotes

  • Published Online First 4 July 2006

  • Funding: This study was supported by the Danish Pediatric Asthma Centre, the Research Centre for Environmental Health (ISMF) contract no 0-302-02-3/7, the CHILDRENGENONETWORK (QLK4-CT-2002-02198), Aase & Ejnar Danielsens Fund and the Lippmann Fund. The funders had no involvement in this work.

  • Competing interests: None declared.

Responses to this article

  • Parents and paediatric research : Need for a wider perspective
    • Parameswaran Anoop,
    • M. A. Anjay, Research Fellow in Paediatrics, Airedale General Hospital
    ADC published online December 14, 2006

This Article

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  4. All versions of this article:
    1. adc.2006.096073v1
    2. 91/12/977 most recent

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