The importance of grandparents in extended-kin caregiving to black children with sickle cell disease.

This study examined support and care the black extended-kin system provided to 34 chronically ill black children with sickle cell anemia. Findings show that grandparents played important roles in helping provide support to the sick children's primary caregivers and to the children themselves. Grandparents provided support that complemented that of fathers, and they remained in the system of care longer than any other relative in the family. The data indicate a need to design family interventions for sick children and their parent to include grandparents.