No evidence was identified in this review of interventions designed to reduce fears of hypoglycaemia and hypoglycaemia avoidance behaviour in parents of children with Type 1 diabetes. The review was well conducted. The authors' conclusion about the lack of evidence is likely to be reliable.

To identify and assess interventions to reduce both fear of hypoglycaemia and hypoglycaemia avoidance behaviour in parents of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

The Cochrane Library (Issue 1 2010), MEDLINE (from 1950), EMBASE (from 1980), PsycINFO (from 1967), Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index (both from 1970) and Conference Proceedings Citation Index (from 1990) were searched to March 2010 for relevant studies; search terms were provided. Meeting abstracts from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, American Diabetes Association and Diabetes UK were searched. Websites of Current Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov and UK Clinical Research Network were searched. References of retrieved papers were checked to identify additional studies. The authors contacted experts in the field to identify further studies. There were no language restrictions.

Studies that assessed the impact of any intervention to reduce fears of hypoglycaemia and hypoglycaemia avoidance behaviour in parents (or primary carers) of children under 12 years of age with type 1 diabetes mellitus were eligible for inclusion.

Two reviewers independently selected studies for inclusion; any disagreements were to be resolved by discussion.

Methodological quality was to be independently assessed by two reviewers using the Crombie Criteria. Any disagreements were to be resolved by discussion.

Data were to be extracted by one reviewer and checked for accuracy by a second reviewer.

Were sufficient data identified, the authors planned to undertake a meta-analysis of the results. Where there was heterogeneity of populations and outcome measures, the results would have been summarised in a narrative synthesis.

No studies were identified that examined the effect of interventions aimed at reducing parental fears of hypoglycaemia and hypoglycaemic avoidance behaviour.

No studies were identified that investigated the effects of intervention to reduce fear of hypoglycaemia and hypoglycaemia avoidance behaviours in parents of children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

The review addressed a clear question. Broad criteria for inclusion of studies in the review were stipulated. Relevant electronic databases were searched. There were no language restrictions. Attempts were made to identify unpublished and ongoing studies. Steps were proposed to minimise errors and bias at each stage of the review process. A quality assessment of included studies was planned. No intervention studies were identified for this review.

The review was well conducted. The authors' conclusion on the absence of evidence seems reliable.

Practice: The authors did not state any implications for practice.

Research: The authors stated that trials of interventions to reduce parental anxiety and hypoglycaemia avoidance behaviour were required and should be examined in a trial of structured education for parents of young children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Interventions may need to be tailored to account for differences in socio-economic backgrounds.

None stated.

This is a critical abstract of a systematic review that meets the criteria for inclusion on DARE. Each critical abstract contains a brief summary of the review methods, results and conclusions followed by a detailed critical assessment on the reliability of the review and the conclusions drawn.