Children with malignant disorders: the health and life situation of their parents examined over a 7‐year interval

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Abstract
The parents of 31 children with malignant disorders were clinically examined and interviewed to characterize their life situation and somatic health during treatment of their child. The follow-up was for 7 years. Comparison groups were from the mean Finnish population matched for age, sex and occupation. The parents were generally healthy. Hypertension, headache and abdominal pain were the main symptoms. Sick leave and contact with a physician were less common than in the control population. The frequency of paramedical drug use was high but tranquilizers were used rarely. At the beginning the mothers had many symptoms indicating stress. Their attitude about their own state of health improved during the follow-up in spite of ageing. The spare-time physical activities of the parents increased during follow-up. Few marital conflicts and problems with the siblings were reported. The increment in economic burden caused by the child's disease was not regarded as essentially changing the family life.