Skills and abilities of mothers regarding the signs and symptoms of respiratory problems in infants: scoping review protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Lower respiratory tract diseases are common in children, especially in infants, causing severe symptoms that mothers are often unable to identify early on. Therefore, the objective is to map the scientific evidence regarding mothers’ competencies and skills in recognizing signs and symptoms of respiratory conditions in infants. Materials and Methods: This is a scoping review protocol developed based on the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewer's Manual. The review question was formulated using the PCC framework (P: Population, C: Concept, and C: Context), with Population (P) – mothers; Concept (C) – respiratory conditions; and Context (C) – infants. The resulting research question was: What scientific evidence is available on mothers’ competencies and skills in recognizing signs and symptoms of respiratory conditions in infants? The literature search will be conducted by two independent researchers using 16 databases. Descriptors from Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) will be used. Additionally, analytical observational studies will be considered for inclusion, including prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case-control studies, and analytical cross-sectional studies. Based on the data extracted from the final sample, an analysis will be carried out and tables summarizing the data from the publications will be constructed. The results will be presented following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The protocol has been registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF) under the registration number osf.io/y7cdq.

Keywords: Child Health; Infant; Mothers; Respiratory System; Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory.