Pediatric burn injuries are a critical medical condition that triggers a series of ongoing multifactorial stressors that affect both children and their families. To inform healthcare research and clinical practice, this study aimed to understand and describe the perceptions and experiences of the parents of burn-injured children during hospital stay. Forty-six parents (thirty-eight mothers) of forty-six children (eighteen girls) with a mean age of 2.28 years (SD = 1.52) answered ten open-ended questions. This qualitative study was conducted in a referral hospital in the northern region of Portugal. Qualitative data were analyzed using an inductive content analysis. Five key themes emerged from the data analysis: diving into the crisis of the child burn injury, being together and in good hands, becoming aware of an uncertain future, enhancing supportive care and environment, and finding ways to guide parents. Qualitative findings underlined the pressing need for integrated care within this context. Parents were significantly burdened and distressed during the inpatient phase. These parents should be included in the integrated care plan starting from admission. Understanding and addressing parents’ healthcare needs and psychosocial adjustment difficulties is paramount to the development of future intervention programs and the delivery of suitable integrated healthcare.

Burn injuries are a leading cause of preventable childhood trauma that threatens family functioning and well-being. This study aimed to analyze changes over time in parental psychosocial adjustment and child's burn-related outcomes, specifically burn scar quality and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), as well as the mediating role of family functioning. Data were collected at four different assessment moments: during the hospital stay (T0), 1 month (T1), 3 months (T2), and 6 months (T3) postdischarge. Parental coping and distress symptoms (anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress), family functioning, the child's burn scar quality and HRQoL were assessed. A total of 100 parents and their preschool-aged children were included. The results showed significant changes in all variables. In general, parental distress symptoms decreased over time, parental coping significantly increased from T1 to T2, and family functioning significantly decreased at all assessment moments compared to T0. The child's burn scar quality and HRQoL improved over time. In addition, family functioning fully mediated the relationship between parental distress and burn scar quality. The results suggested the importance of family functioning in the relationship between parental psychosocial adjustment and the child's physical recovery. Implementing an integrated care approach, including family-centered empowerment care and routine psychosocial screening for parents, is highly recommended. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).