(Grandmothers' role in preventing unnecessary accident and emergency attendances: cohort study)

Grandmothers can provide reassurance for families with young children, thereby reducing the likelihood of parents taking children to accident and emergency (A&E) departments unnecessarily. So say Dr Emma Fergusson and colleagues from the Royal Free Hospital, London in this week's BMJ. The authors found that children who have a grandmother involved in their care are less likely to visit A&E with minor or trivial conditions. They suggest that as extended family ties loosen, the need for health professionals to fill the traditional role of a grandmother may increase, yet current training and standard textbooks include little on such subjects.

Contact:

Dr Emma Fergusson, Department of Child Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital, London [email protected]