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 32 OF 50 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTSLPQualitative2024Evaluating a new supported employment internship programme for autistic young adults without intellectual disability.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic interns and employers valued a supported internship for building confidence and breaking down workplace barriers. However, mismatches in skills and expectations occurred, and parents questioned if the high level of support reflected real-world work conditions.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Opportunities for play in paediatric healthcare environments: a scoping review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPlay spaces in hospitals help children cope and connect, but current designs often ignore adolescents and children with disabilities. Therapists should advocate for play opportunities in general areas like hallways and bedrooms, not just designated rooms.
• OTProtocol2024Occupational Performance Coaching for Children With Neurodisability: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieNo results are reported. There is no finding here that can change clinical practice.
• OTSurvey2024Participation of Children With Autism During COVID-19: The Role of Maternal Participation.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthDuring COVID-19, school-aged children with autism participated more at home than in the community, and mothers wanted change in 71% of activities. Mothers' own health-promoting activities were linked to greater child involvement at home, not community.
• OTCase-Control2024Risk factors and clinical correlates of sensory dysfunction in preschool children with and without autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchA provider sensory diagnosis was reported in 23.7% of preschool children with autism, 8.6% with other developmental delay, and 0.8% of population controls. Maternal anxiety during pregnancy and neonatal jaundice were associated with sensory diagnosis.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Enriching the lives of children with acquired brain injury and their caregivers: experiences from peer mentorship sports camps.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesChildren with brain injury and their caregivers described a sports camp as a way to manage fatigue, build confidence, and reduce isolation. Caregivers reported becoming less overprotective and more hopeful after meeting peer mentors who shared similar experiences.
• OTQualitative2024"What Services?": Stakeholders' Perceived Unmet Support Needs for Parents With Neurological Disorders.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieStakeholders described a severe lack of coordinated support for parents with neurological disorders, citing service gaps, inaccessible environments, and stigma. They identified the need for long-term, family-centered care that extends beyond the infant stage to address evolving needs.
• PTOTCohort2024Sitting Capacity and Performance in Infants with Typical Development and Infants with Motor Delay.Physical & occupational therapy in pediatricsInfants with significant motor delay improved sitting capacity and sitting during play, but typical infants improved more sharply and reached a plateau. A given sitting test score did not mean the same everyday sitting use.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Receptive language and receptive-expressive discrepancy in minimally verbal autistic children and adolescents.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMost minimally verbal autistic children understood more than they could say. Social skills predicted comprehension, while better motor skills linked to a wider gap between understanding and speech. Assess receptive language with parent report, as direct tests often fail to capture ability.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Success or Failure? Are We Meeting the Needs of Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder?Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieParents of children with DCD in British Columbia report the current system is failing them. Only two in five children receive therapy, and school-based support is rare. Families face high out-of-pocket costs and long waits, while emotional and social struggles are widespread and largely unaddressed.
• OTSLPCohort2024Is parent education a factor in identifying autism/takiwātanga in an ethnic cohort of Pacific children in Aotearoa, New Zealand? A national cross-sectional study using linked administrative data.Autism : the international journal of research and practicePacific children whose parents had more years of formal education were more likely to be diagnosed with autism. Each additional year of parental education increased the odds of diagnosis by 10%. This suggests barriers to accessing the health system, not just biology, shape who gets identified.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024The impact for DCD - USA study: The current state of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in the United States of America.Research in developmental disabilitiesMost families in the USA have sought therapy for their child's coordination difficulties, but only about one in three were currently receiving it. Parents reported significant challenges in obtaining diagnoses and accessing consistent support for school and daily activities.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024School absenteeism in autistic children and adolescents: A scoping review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic children miss school more often than peers, especially those with co-occurring mental health conditions. Current interventions are small, uncontrolled, and lack evidence of efficacy. Schools should focus on individualized accommodations and early detection rather than relying on proven treatment programs.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Prevalence of intellectual disability among adults born in the 1980s and 1990s in the United States.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRResearchers estimated that 818,564 adults aged 21 to 41 years in the United States have intellectual disability. This represents a prevalence of 0.95%. These figures provide a necessary denominator for tracking adult health services and planning care resources.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Social interaction links active musical rhythm engagement and expressive communication in autistic toddlers.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic toddlers showed lower active engagement with music than nonautistic peers. In autistic children, higher child music engagement linked to better social skills, while parent-child music-making linked to better expressive communication. These relationships were cross-sectional and did not prove that music interventions cause communication gains.
• OTQualitative2023Bringing therapy home: Exploring parents' experiences of telehealth for children with developmental coordination disorder.The British journal of occupational therapyParents of children with DCD valued telehealth for its flexibility and the insight it gave them into their child's abilities. However, they disliked taking on the therapist role and missed professional guidance. They wanted telehealth to support, not replace, face-to-face therapy.
• OTSLPQualitative2024Made to feel different: Families perspectives on external responses to autism and the impacts on family well-being and relationships.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceFamilies described being made to feel different by schools and communities. Sensory overload and bullying at school led to home meltdowns and isolation. Parents and adolescents wanted support groups and professionals who understood autism’s impact on the whole family unit.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Brain glutathione and GABA+ levels in autistic children.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchBrain scans found no difference in glutathione or GABA levels between autistic and non-autistic children. Higher GABA in motor and thalamus regions correlated with ADHD inattention scores, but this secondary finding was not adjusted for multiple comparisons.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024Noninvasive analysis of overactive muscle structure and elasticity after botulinum toxin type A injection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineBotulinum toxin injections temporarily improve muscle elasticity at four weeks, but show no structural change at short-term. At long-term, muscle volume decreases in children with cerebral palsy. This suggests caution regarding reinjection timing in this population.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Associations between Executive Functions and Sensorimotor Performance in Children at Risk for Learning Disabilities.Occupational therapy internationalPoor standing balance and weak sentence repetition were the strongest predictors of being at risk for learning difficulties in preschoolers. These two factors predicted risk better than IQ or age, suggesting clinicians should screen for balance and verbal working memory alongside cognitive tests.
• OTOther2024Adolescent/Young Adult Self-Management and Independence Self-Report Scale: Preliminary psychometric findings.Child: care, health and developmentIn 159 adolescents and adults with spina bifida, preliminary data support the AMIS II SR self-report scale. It separated everyday independence from condition-specific self-management, and participants reported more independence for condition tasks.
• OTOther2024Examining the associations among knowledge, empowerment, and advocacy among parents of transition-aged youth with autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceEmpowerment, not just knowledge, strongly predicts whether parents advocate for their children. Parents who feel empowered are more likely to move from individual to peer and systemic advocacy. Interventions should prioritize building confidence and control over simply teaching service rules.
• PTOTOther2024The Functional Dexterity Test in Adult Populations: An Exploration of a Simplified Test Protocol and Parameters Guided by Statistical Outcomes.Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand TherapistsA simplified Functional Dexterity Test scored as speed, without penalties, showed dexterity declines linearly with age in healthy adults. Dominant hands were faster by 0.054 pegs per second, and males faster by 0.047 pegs per second.
• OTCohort2024Atypical pattern separation memory and its association with restricted interests and repetitive behaviors in autistic children.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic children showed weaker memory for distinguishing similar objects than neurotypical peers. This difficulty varied across individuals, with some children over-generalizing and others under-generalizing. More severe repetitive behaviors were linked to over-generalizing, suggesting memory profiles may need to be assessed to tailor learning strategies.
• PTOTPilot2024A Feasibility Study of a Physical and Occupational Therapy-Led and Parent-Administered Program to Improve Parent Mental Health and Infant Development.Physical & occupational therapy in pediatricsA therapist-led program teaching parents massage and motor exercises was feasible and acceptable. Parent anxiety, depression, and sense of competence improved significantly from admission to discharge, but without a control group, it is impossible to know if the program caused these changes or if parents simply felt better as their infants improved.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Mapping Effectiveness Studies of Occupational Therapy in Africa: A Scoping Review.Occupational therapy internationalEffectiveness studies of occupational therapy in Africa are emerging, mostly from South Africa. Most reported positive outcomes, particularly in physical rehabilitation and hand therapy. Paediatric evidence was less consistent. Systematic reviews are now feasible to determine actual strength of evidence.
• PTOTSystematic Review2023Effectiveness of Robotics in Stroke Rehabilitation to Accelerate Upper Extremity Function: Systematic Review.Occupational therapy internationalRobot-assisted therapy did not significantly speed up overall upper limb recovery compared to conventional therapy alone. However, gains were faster in the first 25 hours, suggesting robots may help early in rehabilitation before progress plateaus.
• OTQualitative2023"Being Holistic Is a Lot to Ask": A Qualitative, Cross-National Exploration of Occupational Therapists' Perceptions and Experiences of Holistic Practice.Occupational therapy internationalOccupational therapists across 13 countries struggle to define and deliver "holistic" care, citing time pressures, resource limits, and conflicting expectations. They view holism as central to their identity but find it often unrealistic in practice, particularly in hospital settings with high caseloads.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2024Health and Education Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Disabilities.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren with autism experienced significantly more disruptions to therapy and school than peers with other disabilities. They faced greater barriers with telehealth and masking. Clinicians should anticipate that these families may have missed critical interventions and need tailored support to restart care.
• PTOTNarrative Review2023The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's occupations.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTPandemic restrictions disrupted children's occupations: outdoor and structured play fell, screen time rose, sleep became irregular, and remote schooling reduced learning and peer contact. These are patterns, not tested interventions.
• OTCohort2024Preschoolers' Self-Regulation and Behavior Problems in the Midst of Caregiver Depression and Chaos.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren with better self-regulation before the pandemic had fewer behavior problems during it. This protection held up even when caregivers were depressed or homes were chaotic. It only weakened when both stressors occurred together.
• PTOTCohort2024The Targeted Motor Control Screening Tool Is Valid for 4-Year-Old Children.Physical therapyThe Targeted Motor Control screening tool correlates moderately with a detailed assessment in 4-year-olds. A score below 9 flags children at risk of motor delay. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to administer. The sensory items showed weaker agreement than motor items.
• OTSurvey2023The relationship between typically developing school-age children's screen time, participation and physical activity: An exploratory study.The British journal of occupational therapyScreen time was not linked to physical activity in school-age children. Educational screen time was linked to less assistance with daily tasks and higher parent satisfaction.
• OTCase Series2023The Impact of Weighted Blanket Use on Adults with Sensory Sensitivity and Insomnia.Occupational therapy internationalFour adults with sensory sensitivity and insomnia reported lower insomnia scores after using a weighted blanket. Daily sleep diaries showed mixed results for duration and quality, with no clear pattern across participants. This small study cannot confirm if the blanket caused the changes.
• OTOther2023Is Birth Method Associated with Sensory Hyperreactivity in Children 3-4 Years in an Upper-Middle-Income Country?Occupational therapy internationalChildren born vaginally had significantly more sensory hyperreactivity than those born by caesarean section. This contradicts the hypothesis that birth method causes the condition. The finding is likely confounded by socioeconomic status, as most vaginal births occurred in lower-income groups with higher baseline rates of sensory issues.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024State-of-the-art therapies for fragile X syndrome.Developmental medicine and child neurologyCurrent therapies for fragile X syndrome manage symptoms but do not cure the underlying genetic cause. Pharmacological options like stimulants and SSRIs target specific behaviors, while gene therapies remain in preclinical stages.
• OTOther2024Caregiver and youth inter-rater assessment agreement in autism spectrum disorder, developmental coordination disorder, and typical development.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchCaregivers and children often disagreed about anxiety and ADHD symptoms. Children reported more anxiety. Caregivers reported more ADHD in autism spectrum disorder and developmental coordination disorder groups. Using only one report can miss clinically elevated symptoms.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Caregiving occupations, health and well-being of Chinese mothers of children with disabilities living in Australia, Singapore and Taiwan.The British journal of occupational therapyChinese mothers' health and well-being scores did not differ across Australia, Singapore and Taiwan. Mothers who spent time on emotional regulation or behaviour supervision had worse mental health. Therapists should screen for distress in these cases and assess the family support network.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Hybrid approaches to allied health services for children and young people: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationHybrid in-person and remote allied health services for children and young people were inconsistently defined and mostly mental health or CBT studies. PT, OT and SLP evidence was sparse, and controlled evidence was limited, so do not assume remote works for hands-on care.
• OTOther2023The Impact of Raising Children with Barth Syndrome on Parental Health-Related Quality of Life and Family Functioning: Preliminary Reliability and Validity of the PedsQL™ Family Impact Module.Occupational therapy internationalThe PedsQL Family Impact Module reliably distinguishes parents of children with Barth syndrome from others, showing significantly lower family functioning scores in the Barth syndrome group. One subscale on communication was less reliable, so interpret those specific scores with caution.
• OTQualitative2023Usability of Public Play Spaces for Children with Disabilities.Occupational therapy internationalChildren with disabilities in Indonesia described public play spaces as vital for fun and connection, but physical barriers and bullying made them feel unsafe. They sought challenging equipment and nature, while caregivers prioritized safety fences and softer surfaces to allow independent play.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Giving insights into an ICF training: evaluation of an in-person interactive ICF training in Germany.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesParticipants reported the training improved their ICF skills and met expectations. However, many struggled with the classification's hierarchical structure and specific qualifiers. Therapists should expect to need extra practice or time to master coding and linking methods.
• OTSLPCohort2024Early executive functioning predicts externalizing problems in neurodiverse preschoolers.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPoor emotional control at age 3 predicted externalizing problems at age 5 in neurodiverse preschoolers. This link was strongest in children with lower autism symptom severity. Screening for executive functioning difficulties may help identify children who would benefit from early behavioral interventions.
• OTOther2024Role of child demographic, executive functions, and behavioral challenges on feelings about parenting among parents of youth with Down syndrome.Research in developmental disabilitiesIn 113 families, caregiver feelings about parenting were linked to child executive function and behavior challenges. The link between executive function challenges and caregiver feelings was carried through behavior problems. ADHD and obesity were also linked to more negative feelings.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Autistic preschoolers display reduced attention orientation for competition but intact facilitation from a parallel competitor: Eye-tracking and behavioral data.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic preschoolers looked less at competitive games than peers, yet performed motor and sorting tasks just as fast when competing alongside an adult. Parallel play offers immediate social facilitation benefits even when visual attention to competition is reduced.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024The impact of raising a child with a developmental or physical health condition in Ethiopia.Research in developmental disabilitiesFamilies of children with developmental disabilities in Ethiopia reported significantly lower quality of life than those with physical health conditions. Caregivers of children with greater health loss also reported poorer family well-being, highlighting the need for scaled-up support.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2024Experiences of caregivers of children with autism during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsCaregivers of children with autism faced intensified stress, isolation and disrupted routines during the pandemic. Teletherapy was often unhelpful due to access barriers and engagement difficulties. Structured home routines and positive outlooks emerged as key coping strategies.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Spinal manipulation and mobilisation in paediatrics - an international evidence-based position statement for physiotherapists.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapySpinal manipulation and mobilisation should not be performed on infants or for non-musculoskeletal conditions like asthma or colic. For adolescents with neck or back pain, these techniques may be appropriate if combined with sound clinical reasoning.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Normative values to Horus® computerized posturography in children.CoDASNormative values for the Horus posturography platform in 4-6 year olds show that balance improves with age. Four-year-old boys have lower stability limits than girls. Clinicians must use age and sex-specific benchmarks to interpret results, as adult or generic norms are not applicable.
• PTOTSLPOther2024A usability study on the inGAIT-VSO: effects of a variable-stiffness ankle-foot orthosis on the walking performance of children with cerebral palsy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn six children with cerebral palsy, a variable-stiffness ankle orthosis significantly lowered the physiological cost of walking by 45.26% without reducing distance walked. It did not improve speed or balance. Usability was rated good or excellent by five of six participants.