TOPIC

Paediatrics research

Everything we have read on paediatrics. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

2,466 PAPERS · PAGE 26 OF 50 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPQualitative2023'I bring her up with love:' Perspectives of caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental delays in western Kenya.Child: care, health and developmentCaregivers in western Kenya described isolation, financial strain and safety fears as their main challenges. Despite community stigma, they reported deep love for their children and found critical support and respite through faith and religious organizations.
• OTSLPSurvey2023Transition to Kindergarten for Children on the Autism Spectrum: Perspectives of Korean-American Parents.Journal of autism and developmental disordersKorean-American parents put child behavior and teacher cooperation first. They named school-system knowledge and teacher relationships as top barriers. First-generation parents, lower income, and self-contained placement were linked to more reported challenges.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Epilepsy and proxy-reported health-related quality of life in children and young people with non-ambulatory cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with severe cerebral palsy and epilepsy who took more anti-seizure medications had lower overall quality of life scores, even after accounting for how often they had seizures. Any days with seizures in the last month also linked to lower quality of life.
• PTOTRCT2022Motor function and safety after allogeneic cord blood and cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells in cerebral palsy: An open-label, randomized trial.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAllogeneic cord blood infusion showed greater gross motor improvement than natural history at 12 months on the GMFM-66. This was a post hoc finding in an underpowered safety trial. No significant difference was found for cord tissue-derived cells.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2023Alexithymia and intolerance of uncertainty predict somatic symptoms in autistic and non-autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults reported more physical symptoms than non-autistic peers, but this was not caused by autism itself. Instead, difficulty identifying emotions and intolerance of uncertainty predicted the symptoms. Treating these psychological traits may help reduce physical distress in autistic patients.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2023Brain volumes and functional outcomes in children without cerebral palsy after therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren without cerebral palsy after neonatal cooling had smaller whole-brain grey and white matter volumes than controls. Smaller hippocampal and thalamic volumes correlated with lower IQ and motor scores in these children. No significant differences remained when accounting for total brain size.
• OTSystematic Review2023Proxy-reported sensory measures for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyOnly the Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire had clear evidence its caregiver questions were relevant, complete, and understandable for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Most other sensory questionnaires lacked this evidence, so check the evidence before using them.
• OTSLPQualitative2022Parents' perceptions of children's emotional well-being during spring 2020 COVID-19 restrictions: A qualitative study with parents of young children in England.Child: care, health and developmentParents of preschoolers in England described children losing sleep and having more tantrums when nursery closed. Some children bonded more with family. Parents struggled to create routines without external support. These are reported perceptions, not measured outcomes.
• OTCohort2022Pathways to adaptive functioning in autism from early childhood to adolescence.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchHigher ADHD symptoms in early childhood and adolescence were associated with lower adaptive functioning in autistic teenagers. Autism social communication difficulties also predicted lower functioning, but behavioral and emotional problems did not.
• PTOTNarrative Review2022Spreading the word: pediatric pain education from treatment to prevention.Archives of physiotherapyPain education for children shows mixed early results, with some studies finding improvements in knowledge and fear, while others showed no change in pain intensity. It is currently an emerging field requiring further high-quality trials.
• PTOTOther2023A core outcome set for lower limb orthopaedic surgery for children with cerebral palsy: An international multi-stakeholder consensus study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyInternational consensus identified 19 outcomes across 8 domains to measure after lower limb surgery in children with cerebral palsy. These include pain, walking, independence, and self-esteem. Adverse events and assistive device use were excluded from the core set.
• PTOTCohort2023Longitudinal development of hand use in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy from 18 months to 18 years.Developmental medicine and child neurologyHand function in unilateral CP stabilizes around age 7 and remains steady through adolescence. Higher-functioning children reach their plateau earlier, but all groups maintain their bimanual ability. Regular follow-ups are essential because individual variation remains large.
• PTOTOther2022Motor function, muscle strength and health-related quality of life of children perinatally infected with HIV.The South African journal of physiotherapyIn 30 ambulatory children with perinatally acquired HIV, 36.7% were delayed and 23.3% were at high risk of motor delay on a standard motor test. Manual dexterity was worst, with sixty percent at risk or delayed. Girls had lower jump distance than boys.
• OTSLPSurvey2023Caregiver-Child Agreement in Health-Related Quality of Life of Autistic Children and Adolescents.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregiver and child quality of life ratings usually agreed, but caregivers tended to rate emotional functioning lower than children, especially in children aged 8 to 12. Ask children directly when planning care.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Follow-up visits after a concussion in the pediatric population: An integrative review.NeuroRehabilitationChildren and youth are not consistently followed up after a concussion diagnosis. Reported follow-up rates varied widely from 13.2% to 99.5%. Evidence on factors influencing attendance, such as age, sex, and insurance, was inconsistent across studies.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Neuro-imaging characteristics of sensory impairment in cerebral palsy; a systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesChildren with cerebral palsy and cortical brain lesions have significantly worse touch and object recognition than those with white matter lesions. Sensory reorganization to the other brain hemisphere does not improve function. Lesion location and extent, not just motor damage, predict sensory deficits.
• OTPilot2023Frequency, facilitators, and barriers for range of motion to prevent shoulder contracture in brachial plexus birth injury: A pilot study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineFive caregivers of children with brachial plexus birth injury said routines like diaper changes and meals helped them remember daily stretching. Work, illness, family demands, and fussy days were barriers. This small pilot cannot show stretching prevents shoulder contracture.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Quality of life beyond diagnosis in intellectual disability - Latent profiling.Research in developmental disabilitiesQuality of life in children with intellectual disability clusters into three profiles that do not match diagnosis alone. The best-scoring group still showed emotional difficulties, while lower-functioning groups struggled with independence and social interaction. Assess domains, not just labels.
• PTOTCase Report2023Biomechanically designed Curve Specific Corrective Exercise for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis gives significant outcomes in an Adult: A case report.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesOne adult with severe scoliosis reported pain dropping from 8/10 to 1/10 and a major curve reducing by 13.8° after eight months of specific corrective exercises. This shows what happened to one person, not that the treatment works for others.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Patterns of sensory processing in young children with autism: Differences in autism characteristics, adaptive skills, and attentional problems.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMost young autistic children showed mixed sensory patterns rather than uniform severe differences. Children with definite sensory differences across all modalities had lower social and daily living skills and more attention problems. Those with mostly typical sensory profiles had fewer such difficulties.
• OTSurvey2022Early pandemic impacts on family environments that shape childhood development and health: A Canadian study.Child: care, health and developmentPandemic work and income changes reshaped family routines. Some parents with more time reported more supportive home environments, but essential workers reported lower ratings, and the links explained only a small share of family environment scores.
• OTQualitative2023Barriers and facilitators to participation in everyday activities for children with intellectual disabilities in China.Child: care, health and developmentCaregivers of children with intellectual disabilities in China described barriers: limited caregiver knowledge and skills, child impairments, stigma and lack of family, financial and policy support. Facilitators included optimistic caregivers, family help, peer interaction and school activities.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Health-related quality of life in adolescents with cerebral palsy; a cross-sectional and longitudinal population-based study.Child: care, health and developmentFor adolescents with severe cerebral palsy, caregiver-reported quality of life remained largely stable over five years, except for general health which declined due to increased medication use. Severe motor impairment and pain consistently predicted lower quality of life across most domains.
• PTOTSLPOther2023TelereHUB-CHILD: An online integrated knowledge translation tool to optimize telerehabilitation evidence-based practices for children with disabilities and their families.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesClinicians and parents rated features of a new telerehabilitation website, confirming that organizing evidence by diagnosis and discipline makes it easier to find relevant treatments and assessments for children.
• PTOTSurvey2023Perspectives on ankle-foot technology for improving gait performance of children with Cerebral Palsy in daily-life: requirements, needs and wishes.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationClinicians and families with cerebral palsy disagree on what matters most in ankle-foot orthoses. Families prioritise a normal-looking walk and comfort, while clinicians prioritise terrain adaptability. Both groups report low confidence in prescribing devices based on clinic assessments alone.
• OTQualitative2022The Strengths and Positive Influences of Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesCaregivers of young children with FASD described strengths in social connection, persistence, talents, and positive mood. They also said the children brought family togetherness, joy, and help with household tasks. Their positive descriptions were not linked to child behavior or parenting stress.
• OTSLPQualitative2023Summative content analysis of the recommendations from Project ECHO Ontario Autism.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesProject ECHO Ontario Autism recommendations most often advised clinicians to connect families with community supports and make referrals, including occupational therapy and speech-language pathology. These are recommendation topics, not tested outcomes.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Association between early and current gastro-intestinal symptoms and co-morbidities in children and adolescents with Angelman syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRIn children with Angelman syndrome, current frequent gastrointestinal symptoms are strongly linked to a history of gastroesophageal reflux and night-time urinary incontinence. Excessive night-time sweating also predicts these symptoms. Clinicians should investigate GI issues when patients present with these specific co-morbidities.
• OTCohort2022Sensory processing in 16p11.2 deletion and 16p11.2 duplication.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with 16p11.2 deletion or duplication often had sensory differences similar to autistic children, especially body position and not noticing sensory input. Scores varied widely, so assess each child's sensory profile rather than assume one pattern.
• PTOTQualitative2023"Kind of empowered": Perceptions of socio-emotional development in children driving ride-on cars.Rehabilitation psychologyCaregivers described ride-on cars as helping their children feel empowered and equal to peers. They viewed the cars as a fun toy rather than a medical device, which reduced stigma and allowed for more natural social interaction and autonomy.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Dietary intake in children on the autism spectrum is altered and linked to differences in autistic traits and sensory processing styles.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with autism ate lower-quality diets than their siblings and unrelated peers, with less variety and more nutrient-poor foods. However, siblings shared some poor habits, and sensory hypersensitivity or seeking was linked to healthier eating, suggesting family and sensory factors drive diet more than diagnosis alone.
• OTSLPQualitative2023Parents' perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 and school transition on autistic children's friendships.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents reported that autistic children who moved to a new school with existing friends or to a setting with staggered starts and reduced crowds experienced smoother transitions. Children without these supports often struggled with isolation or peer difficulties during the pandemic.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Pain coping tools for children and young adults with a neurodevelopmental disability: A systematic review of measurement properties.Developmental medicine and child neurologyNo pain coping questionnaire is fully validated for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. The CP QoL may flag pain issues, but clinicians should not rely on it alone. Use the FOPQ or BAPQ with caution, knowing they lack validation for this specific population.
• PTOTSLPOther2023The relationship between body sway patterns and motor and attentional functions in early childhood.Journal of physical therapy scienceSix-year-olds with back-and-forth body sway had lower attention scores than those with centered sway, but physical fitness tests showed no difference. Do not use standing sway patterns to screen for motor delays, though they may hint at attentional timing issues.
• OTSurvey2022Impact of stress and decision fatigue on parenting practices related to food and physical activity during COVID-19.Child: care, health and developmentMost parents reported positive changes in food and activity habits during the pandemic. However, high stress predicted less positive change, but only for parents who also reported increased decision fatigue. Stress alone did not predict worse habits if decision fatigue remained low.
• OTSurvey2022COVID-19 Vaccines for Children with Developmental Disabilities: Survey of New York State Parents' Willingness and Concerns.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPMost parents of children with developmental disabilities were willing to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, especially for adolescents. Willingness dropped for younger children and among Black and Hispanic parents. Key concerns were side effects, exclusion from trials, and impacts on development.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Development of social functioning in children with cerebral palsy: A longitudinal study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy who communicate effectively with familiar partners (CFCS level I) developed social skills similar to typical peers by age 12. Those with communication difficulties at unfamiliar levels (CFCS II-V) had social function significantly below age expectations. Intellectual impairment also predicted poorer social function.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2023Stakeholder perspectives on navigating the pediatric concussion experience: Exploring the needs for improved communication across the care continuum.NeuroRehabilitationStakeholders reported that communication from healthcare providers to schools is often ineffective or absent. Parents who actively advocated secured more accommodations. Schools frequently lack a designated point person, and non-athlete students receive less coordinated support than athletes.
• OTSurvey2022Child Media Use During COVID-19: Associations with Contextual and Social-Emotional Factors.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren spent about 4 hours daily on entertainment screen media outside schoolwork. Mobile apps and games were linked to more behavioral difficulties, problematic media use, and shorter sleep, while video chat and streaming were linked to more prosocial behavior.
• PTOTSLPOther2023Wearable accelerometers for measuring and monitoring the motor behaviour of infants with brain damage during CareToy-Revised training.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationWearable arm and trunk sensors recorded movement in 17 infants with brain damage during a home training programme. Sensor readings tracked AIMS and IMP total scores, but not IMP fluency. The sample was too small to validate any clinical tool.
• OTRCT2023Traumatic Brain Injury Positive Strategies for Families: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of an Online Parent-Training Program.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationCaregivers using the online TIPS program learned more strategies than those using a standard website, but they did not apply them better or report improved family quality of life. The program was highly rated and feasible, but it did not yet change patient or family outcomes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Association of maternal autoimmune disease and early childhood infections with offspring autism spectrum disorder: A population-based cohort study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with mothers who had autoimmune disease or who were hospitalized for infections before age two had higher odds of autism diagnosis by age nine. However, having both exposures did not multiply the risk beyond what each contributes alone.
• OTCohort2022Adaptive response of Italian young adults with autism to the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study.Research in developmental disabilitiesOne year after the Italian lockdown, young adults with autism showed significant declines in daily living and socialisation skills. Personal care, domestic tasks, and interpersonal relationships worsened over time, suggesting that disruption of routine rehabilitation and increased family dependence may have hindered adaptive functioning.
• OTCohort2022Resilience, and positive parenting in parents of children with syndromic autism and intellectual disability. Evidence from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family's quality of life and parent-child relationships.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchParents of children with syndromic autism maintained stable family quality of life during the pandemic, despite significant disruptions to healthcare access. Most reported positive parent-child relationships, with low conflict and high satisfaction. However, those losing predictable routines or healthcare access saw lower family quality of life scores.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Trajectories of self-management and independence in youth with spina bifida: Demographic predictors of growth.Child: care, health and developmentSelf-management skills improved slowly over time for young adults with spina bifida, but most still required supervision or assistance by age 27. Growth rates varied by race and sex, with Black participants showing faster improvement in condition management.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2023Exploring parent-engaged developmental monitoring of young children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Porter Novelli Styles 2019 and 2021.Disability and health journalParents' engagement in developmental monitoring and rates of reported concerns did not change significantly from before the pandemic to during it. However, half of parents who reported a concern said their child did not receive services.
• OTSLPCase-Control2022Cognitive flexibility in autism: Evidence from young autistic children.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchYoung autistic children took longer and made more errors on a non-verbal task requiring them to switch rules between numbers and colors. Their performance on verbal word-list tasks was lower, but this was driven by specific word categories rather than a general inability to switch mental sets.
• OTSLPQualitative2022Parents with intellectual disability reporting on factors affecting their caregiving in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDParents with intellectual disability reported that the pandemic overwhelmed their caregiving capacity. They struggled to understand abstract health information and lost access to home-based professional support. This led to increased isolation, strained parent-child relationships, and in one case, the placement of children in out-of-home care.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2023Research Gaps in Fragile X Syndrome: An Updated Literature Review to Inform Clinical and Public Health Practice.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPNo medication or therapy has yet proven effective for the core symptoms of fragile X syndrome. Behavioral and language interventions show promise in small studies, but the evidence base remains thin. Clinicians should prioritize early diagnosis and support for families, as specific treatments are not yet established.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Incidence and risk factors for care-related pain in children with physical disabilities.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineNearly half of children with physical disabilities experienced pain during routine care over five days. Pain was most frequent in younger children and those with high dependency. Prevention measures were used for only 26.5% of acts, leaving a significant gap in managing care-related pain.