A new study has found that parental intuition is a stronger predictor of critical illness in children than standard vital signs, strengthening the case for families to have a right to a second opinion under Martha's rule, which is being piloted in the NHS.
Researchers from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, analysed data from nearly 190,000 emergency hospital visits involving children. They found that when parents voiced concern that their child was deteriorating, the child was four times more likely to require intensive care than when no concern was expressed.
The study, published in the Lancet's journal on Child and Adolescent Health, also revealed that in almost one in five cases (19.3%), parents raised concerns before vital signs indicated deterioration. Parental concern was more strongly associated with admission to intensive care than abnormal heart rate, breathing, or blood pressure.
The findings come after the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills in 2021, who developed sepsis after injuring her pancreas. Her parents repeatedly raised concerns that were ignored. A campaign by her mother led to the piloting of Martha's rule, which gives patients and families the right to an urgent review.
Lead author Dr Erin Mills of Monash University said: 'Parents are the experts in their children, but stories of parents not being heard, followed by devastating outcomes, are all too common. If a parent said they were worried, their child was around four times more likely to require intensive care. That's a signal we can't afford to ignore.'
The researchers emphasised that parents should be treated as part of the care team, with permission and power to speak up. The study supports the ongoing initiative to embed family concerns into clinical decision-making.
