Parent visual analogue scale ratings of children’s pain do not reliably reflect pain reported by child

Abstract

Parents' VAS score ratings of their children's pain correlate only moderately with the children's VAS pain scores and show poor levels of agreement. The difference between the measures is variable and appears to be more marked when the child reports a higher VAS score. This research raises doubt about whether parental rating of a child's pain is an appropriate surrogate marker in pediatric pain and analgesia research.