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Despite this, their role in IPC is not clearly defined. This study explored how parents of children admitted to an Australian tertiary paediatric hospital understand and participate in IPC initiatives. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in oncology\/haematology, adolescent, and surgical wards, involving semi-structured interviews with 24 parents and 2 mature minors. Data were analysed thematically using the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices model as a deductive framework. Three themes were derived, highlighting parents\u2019 engagement in IPC. Heightened parental vigilance involved maintaining hygiene, monitoring their child\u2019s condition, educating children, and seeking clarification when clinical communication or staff practice was inconsistent. Balancing infection risk with daily life involved recognising the ubiquity of infections, managing community exposures, and weighing risk against their child\u2019s need for a normal life. Hospital care was seen as both a risk and a necessity, emphasising reliance on treatment and concerns about potential infection exposure. Parents\u2019 IPC efforts were ongoing and adapted to the realities of home, community exposure, and hospital admission. Their role in managing infection risk highlights the importance of integrating parents into IPC in paediatric care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/13674935261500840","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T13:17:01Z","timestamp":1792502221000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Frontline of infection control: Parents caring for high-risk children"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3160-9973","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mataya","family":"Kilpatrick","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Deakin University"},{"name":"Deakin University"},{"name":"Deakin University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Hutchinson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Deakin University"},{"name":"Deakin University"},{"name":"Deakin University"},{"name":"Deakin University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Manias","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Monash University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"St\u00e9phane","family":"Bouchoucha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Deakin University"},{"name":"Deakin University"},{"name":"Deakin University"},{"name":"Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_7_2_1","volume-title":"National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards","author":"Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care [ACSQHC]","year":"2021","unstructured":"Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care [ACSQHC] (2021) National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. 2nd edition. 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