Parent perceptions of routine growth monitoring: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND

Despite being a well-accepted part of paediatric care, little is known about the benefits or potential harms of routine growth monitoring (RGM) from a parent's perspective.

OBJECTIVE

To explore parental experiences with RGM.

METHODS

Literature searches were performed on Google Scholar, psycINFO, CINAHL, and PubMed. Included studies were published after 2000 and described parental comprehension, preferences, attitudes toward, and/or behaviour change related to RGM.

RESULTS

Of 24 reviewed studies, four themes were identified: reliance on growth monitoring, understanding, influence on feeding and behaviour, and response to obesity-related classification. RGM was familiar but not strongly preferred to identify a child's weight status. Parental understanding of RGM was poor, particularly among parents with low socioeconomic status. A common belief was that heavier babies were healthier, while smaller babies should prompt concern. Parents may be anxious and change behaviour in response to RGM, such as by halting breastfeeding, supplementing, or restricting their child's diet. Parents frequently discounted RGM information when their child was identified as overweight, and expressed concerns about self-esteem and eating disorders.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review identifies that although RGM is familiar and sometimes reassuring to parents, increased consideration should be given to potential harms from parental perspectives when conducting growth monitoring.