Effect of oral hygiene education to mothers on stomatitis induced by chemical therapy in cancer children: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Background: Stomatitis is considered as one of the most important acute complications of chemical therapy. Due to the problems and complications of stomatitis, it is very important to prevent it during chemotherapy. This study explored the effect of oral hygiene education to mothers on stomatitis induced by chemical therapy in cancer children. Methods: The present quasi-experimental research was conducted on 69 mothers with cancer children undergoing chemotherapy hospitalized in a pediatric oncology ward. The mothers were randomly assigned into case and control groups. Oral hygiene pedagogy was delivered face to face. The severity of stomatitis was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) checklist once on day 1 of chemotherapy and then on days 7 and 14 after chemotherapy in both groups. The gleaned Data were statistically analyzed using t test, Mann-Whitney test, and χ2 test. Results: The mean degree of stomatitis on the seventh and fourteenth days after chemotherapy was 0.71±0.52 and 0.32±0.63 in the experimental group and 1.46±0.61 and 2.74±0.92 in the control group, respectively. A significant difference existed between the intensity of stomatitis after education to mothers in the two groups (P=0.001). Conclusion: Oral hygiene education to mothers exerted an effect on the severity of stomatitis induced by chemical therapy in cancer children and reduced it on days 7 and 14 after chemotherapy. It is necessary for nurses to control oral hygiene status of these children and the severity of stomatitis every day.