A new poll from the University of Michigan shows that parents of young kids tend to miss out on following doctors' advice on health care most of the time, reports Medical Xpress.
The most recent poll on children's health from the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital showed only 31 percent of parents said they followed doctors' advice on children's care all the time. Parents from varied economic backgrounds followed doctors' advice differently.
Parents who had higher income were more likely to follow doctors' advice on children's health all the time (8 percent) while parents with low annual income said that they only followed doctors' advice occasionally (17 percent).
The report also showed 18 percent of Hispanic and 22 percent of Black parents were twice as much likely to follow doctors' advice occasionally when compared to White parents (9 percent).
Overall, the percentage of parents who followed doctors' advice "most of the time" but not always was higher (56 percent).
The survey also showed which advice was implemented vastly among the parents who said they occasionally followed their doctors' advice. Nutrition, dental check-up, safety while driving was commonly followed among these parents, according to the report.
The most common advice that was missed by parents included discipline (40 percent), sleeping schedule (18 percent) and watching TV (13 percent).
"During well-child visits, health care providers give parents and guardians advice about how to keep their kids healthy and safe. This poll suggests that many parents aren't heeding that advice consistently, putting kids at risk for long-lasting health concerns," said Sarah J. Clark, M.P.H., Associate Director of the Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit at the University of Michigan and Associate Director of the National Poll on Children's Health. She also noted that as a result of failing to follow such important advices, children face health problems shortly or in the long run.
Clark observed a higher percentage of children facing health problems such as obesity, dental problems and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) fall under the category of poorer families or non whites. She also noted that parents' rating of their doctors' service is directly linked to how effectively parents followed the given advice.
Clark advised parents to seek clarification about any doubt they might have about the given instructions and urged doctors to explain in simple and understandable terms, "asking parents about their concerns and giving practical examples of what works with children of different ages."