Talking about Cystic Fibrosis within the Family–What Parents Need to Know

Health care professionals are becoming much more aware of the importance of including parents in the care of their child during an illness. Yet one area in which parents need a great deal of support is often overlooked—that of discussing the illness and its effects with the child and the siblings. This study examines how parents communicate with their chronically ill child and his or her siblings about the illness, what difficulties they have encountered and what guidance they have received from health care professionals. Implications of these findings for health care professionals are also discussed.