Parental Presence and Preschoolers' Behavior

The design of the study was a randomized controlled clinical trial with an allocation ratio of 1:1. Children enrolled in this study were stratified based on their IQ into three groups; high, average and low IQ groups. In each of these three groups, children were randomly and equally allocated into study and control subgroups. Thus, this study included 6 subgroups.

- Visual Screening and History taking were carried out to identify children who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Parental meeting was also conducted to explain the child entire research plan.

The children were recruited from the Outpatient clinic of Pediatric Dentistry Department in Faculty of Dentistry at Alexandria University.

The IQ test for each selected child took place in a quiet closed room (special need clinic). The preventive measures were applied in the pediatric clinic of the department.

- Interventions

In the first visit, children who fulfilled the inclusion/ exclusion criteria were evaluated by IQ test then divided into 3 equal groups (50 children) according to their level of intelligence IQ as follows:

1. High IQ Children group (HIQ): with score of (110 and above)
2. Average IQ Children (AIQ): with score of (90-109)

3. Low IQ Children (LIQ)(with the normal intelligence range): with score of (70-89) In the second visit, fear was measured in each group followed by random allocation into test and control subgroups and then the implementation of the intervention.

   • In each group (50 children), 25 children in subgroup S (study group) were managed using Parental Active Presence (PAP) technique, while the other 25 children in subgroup C (control group) were managed using Parental Passive Presence (PPP) technique. Parental Active / Passive Presence technique was accompanied with Tell-Show-Do (TSD) Technique (Addelston, 1959). During this management, dental preventive measures were applied.