Introduction: Treatment burden for the people with haemophilia has been documented, as has the burden of caring for a child with a common chronic disease such as asthma or diabetes. However, there remains a paucity of data about caregiver burden in haemophilia.
Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of bleeding on caregivers of children with haemophilia. Caregiver burden was stratified by the clinical status of their child.
Methods: A multinational, non-interventional study of caregivers of children with severe or moderate haemophilia, using the HEMOCABquestionnaire to evaluate caregiver burden.
Results: A total of 144 caregivers from seven EU countries participated in the study. Differences in caregiver burden were identified based on the clinical situation of the child. Greater burden was seen in caregivers of children who experienced joint bleeding in the preceding 12 months, or had target joints or reduced range of motion in most domains of the HEMOCAB. Caring for a child with a current inhibitor also caused significantly higher burden for caregivers when compared to caring for a child with tolerized inhibitor or without inhibitor. Caregivers of children with chronic pain reported significantly higher burden in all domains of the HEMOCAB except for "interaction with the father."
Conclusion: Caregiver burden can be affected by the child's haemophilia status, particularly if joint health is impacted (eg bleeds, decreased mobility) or if the child suffers from chronic pain which was moderately correlated with joint bleeds.
Keywords: bleeding; caregiver burden; children; haemophilia; joint health.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.