Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Parents Regarding Febrile Seizures in Al-Baha Region, Saudi Arabia: Across-sectional study.

Background: During childhood, the most common type of convulsion is febrile convulsions (FC), beliefs among parents are widespread, and this can lead to misunderstandings and inappropriate management. A handful of studies have been conducted in Saudi Arabia related to the knowledge, attitude, and practice of FC, especially in the Al-Baha region. Objectives: To explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the parents regarding FC in Al-Baha City, Saudi Arabia, and identify spaces for educational remission. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 parents in Al-Baha by an electronic self-administered questionnaire. It incorporates modules on parental KAP, socio-demographic data, and family experiences of FC. Results: In the collected data, 89.0% of the parents showed improper knowledge and information regarding FC. Adequate knowledge was found in 2.3% of parents, with 46.6% mistaking FCs for epilepsy. Overall, 62.2% of parents were neutral in their attitude towards FC, and 17.7% held negative attitudes. Regarding practices, 63.9% of parents would promptly present their child at the hospital during a seizure, and 21.1% reported improper behaviors (unspecifically trying to forcefully open their child's lips). Nevertheless, 80.2% of parents used antipyretics to reduce their child's body temperature in case of a seizure. Conclusion: These results highlight the need for focused educational efforts to improve parental knowledge and correct misperceptions about FC practices. Healthcare providers play a key role in providing information, education, and reassurance to help reduce parental anxiety over FC, as well as influence its effective parentally-applied complex clinical management. Altering the conditions of these gaps can mean overall better results.