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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 33 OF 50 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPOther2024Global, Regional, and National Burdens of Hearing Loss for Children and Adolescents from 1990 to 2019: A Trend Analysis.Trends in hearingGlobal hearing loss in children dropped slightly from 1990 to 2019, but mild cases rose. Adolescent girls aged 15-19 saw a significant increase in moderate hearing loss, driven by noise exposure and ear infections, requiring targeted prevention.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Risk factors and hearing outcomes in infants and young children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsRecurrent ear infections and HIV were the most common risks in this South African cohort, appearing in 43% and 16% of files. The standard US screening list missed these local drivers, meaning risk checks must be adapted to the region to catch preventable hearing loss.
• OTSurvey2024A Profile of Occupational Therapists Working in School-Based Practice in Australian Primary Schools.Occupational therapy internationalMost school therapists in this sample worked one-on-one with young students, funded by the NDIS. Few used whole-class or school-wide approaches, and many did not contribute to student education plans. The service model varied greatly by state and employer.
• OTOther2024Hyper-focus, sticky attention, and springy attention in young autistic children: Associations with sensory behaviors and cognitive ability.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic and non-autistic young children were similar in how slowly they looked away from a central shape. Among autistic children, often returning to that old shape was linked to lower thinking and learning scores and seeming unaware of other stimuli.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Categorizing and identifying preferred interests in autistic toddlers.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic toddlers were more likely to have parent-reported preferred interests than peers with delays or no diagnosis. However, the specific types of interests did not differ between groups. Clinicians should assess how intensely a child engages with an interest, not just what the interest is.
• OTSLPOther2024Child Age at Time of First Maternal Concern and Time to Services Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPIn children with autism, maternal race/ethnicity was not linked to first concern age, but children of non-Latino Black or non-Latino other race mothers had longer time to services. Earlier concern was linked to longer wait.
• PTOTCohort2024Early Play Behaviors of Infants at Elevated Likelihood for Autism Spectrum Disorder.The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy AssociationSix-month-old infants later diagnosed with autism had lower overall play scores than those who were not. Atypical movement patterns did not differ between the groups, though asymmetrical reflexes were seen in more infants with autism. This pilot suggests play quality may offer early clues.
• OTSLPOther2024Profiles of minimally verbal autistic children: Illuminating the neglected end of the spectrum.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMinimally verbal autistic children are not a single group. They split into three distinct profiles: one with global delays, one with strong cognition but weak speech, and one with strong social communication but lower cognition. Treatment should match the profile, not just the word count.
• OTCohort2024The Bead Maze Hand Function Test for Children.The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy AssociationThe Bead Maze Hand Function Test showed excellent agreement between raters and correlated with standard hand speed measures in 23 typically developing children. Force measures changed with age and task complexity, offering information that time-based tests alone do not capture.
• OTOther2024Ayres Sensory Integration® Intervention for Autistic Children: A Telehealth Adaptation.The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy AssociationEight experienced telehealth and occupational therapy experts reviewed a new manual for delivering Ayres Sensory Integration via video. They rated it feasible and clear, but asked for better parent coaching tools and simpler assessment guides before it could be used in practice.
• OTSLPOther2024Measuring self and informant perspectives of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours (RRBs): psychometric evaluation of the Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire-3 (RBQ-3) in adult clinical practice and research settgs.Molecular autismAdults waiting for autism assessment and their informants agreed on repetitive behaviours, and both lined up with clinician interview ratings. Autistic adults scored higher than non-autistic adults. Use the questionnaire to guide assessment, not to diagnose alone.
• OTSLPCohort2024Enhanced interest in letters and numbers in autistic children.Molecular autismOver a third of autistic preschoolers develop an intense interest in letters and numbers, often despite minimal speech. This interest emerges at the same age as in typical children but is non-social. Clinicians should ask parents explicitly about it.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity in early neurodevelopmental traits in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study.Molecular autismEarly difficulties in social and communication skills at age three were associated with receiving a diagnosis of almost all neurodevelopmental conditions later in childhood. These traits were not neatly aligned with specific diagnoses, suggesting broad developmental challenges predict diverse outcomes.
• PTOTOther2024Robotic assessment of bilateral and unilateral upper limb functions in adults with cerebral palsy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdults with mild to moderate cerebral palsy were most often impaired on a robotic bilateral asymmetric hitting task, even when their everyday object handling was rated as mild. Symmetric and unilateral reaching tasks identified fewer impairments.
• OTSurvey2024Work-life balance and the psychosocial work environment in Finnish working life: The case of gender and family life stages.Work (Reading, Mass.)For women, family life stages with young children were linked to lower work-life balance, while for men they were not. For both sexes, higher social support at work was linked to better balance, and higher work demands to worse balance.
• OTSurvey2024"Your Child Should Not Return": Preschool Expulsion Among Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder as an Early Indicator of Later Risks.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren with ADHD who had been expelled from preschool had more severe symptoms, other mental or behavioral disorders, and later school and family difficulties than children with ADHD who had not been expelled.
• PTOTOther2024Assessing proprioception in children with upper motor neuron lesions: feasibility, validity, and reliability of the proprioception measurement tool.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA new sensor-based tool can reliably measure lower limb proprioception in children with upper motor neuron lesions. It distinguishes these children from typically developing peers, though the joint movement sense component is less precise than position sense.
• OTSLPOther2024Pepea Pamoja:† Applying the Ecological Validity Framework to co-develop a wellbeing and behavioural training program for caregivers of young children with autism in low-resource settings of Kenya and the United States.Child: care, health and developmentA 10-session group training program for caregivers of young children with autism was co-developed for Kenya and adapted back to rural Indiana. It blends autism education, caregiver wellbeing, and daily-routine behavioral strategies. It has not been tested for effectiveness.
• OTSurvey2024Occupational Therapy for Parenting: Perspectives of Parents With Physical Disability.Occupational therapy internationalAmong parents with physical disability who reported occupational therapy experiences, 19 of 37 said no parenting tasks were addressed. They wanted therapists to affirm parenting and help with lifting, carrying, mobility, and toddler demands.
• OTQualitative2024Adaptation of a Sensory Reactivity Assessment for Use With Children in the Western Cape Province, South Africa.Occupational therapy internationalCaregivers and therapists found American sensory questionnaires hard to read and some balance tasks frightening. Adapted wording and tasks were accepted by caregivers, but the assessment still needs testing before diagnostic use.
• OTSLPCohort2024Alterations in Neural Activation During Facial Emotion Processing in Adolescent Male Participants With Klinefelter Syndrome.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAdolescent males with Klinefelter syndrome showed increased brain activation when viewing angry faces compared to controls. This heightened neural activity correlated with parent-reported social anxiety and withdrawal. The findings suggest a biological basis for social difficulties in this population.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Neurological examination of healthy term infants at ages 6 and 10 weeks in Tshwane District.The South African journal of physiotherapyHealthy infants in South Africa showed rapid neurological maturation between 6 and 10 weeks, including better head control and visual tracking. Most scored within normal ranges on the Hammersmith exam, providing local benchmark data to help identify early developmental risks.
• OTQualitative2024Participation Questionnaire for Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Item Development.Occupational therapy internationalExperts and caregivers helped refine a questionnaire for preschoolers with autism. They removed domains that measured skills rather than participation and added questions about social opportunities. The resulting draft requires further testing before it can be used clinically.
• OTSLPOther202415 Years of Inclusive Employment in a Down Syndrome Clinic.Work (Reading, Mass.)A hospital clinic hired six adults with Down syndrome over 15 years, creating two permanent roles. Success relied on strengths-based coaching, visual learning supports, and training colleagues to understand DS communication profiles.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Identifying Children and Adolescents at Elevated Mental Health Risk Before and During COVID-19.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAdolescent girls showed the largest increase in mental health risk during the pandemic. Global risk rose significantly in this group, driven by internalizing and attention symptoms. Screening at once-yearly visits may underestimate risk if conducted in summer.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Parents' and carers' attitudes to the use of digital technology and its role in the care of children with complex needs.The British journal of occupational therapyParents of children with complex needs use smartphones and tablets daily to find information, communicate with services, and support therapy. They want digital tools to supplement face-to-face care, not replace it, citing concerns about losing personal contact and data security.
• OTOther2024Short report: Do parents use asynchronous materials in a hybrid coaching via telehealth intervention?Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents with lower baseline competence used more online materials than those with higher competence. Both groups found the telehealth coaching acceptable, but lower competence parents showed greater improvement in competence scores. This suggests self-guided modules may benefit parents who feel less confident.
• OTQualitative2024Assessing physical literacy with school-aged children in occupational therapy practice: An exploratory qualitative study.The British journal of occupational therapyPaediatric occupational therapists were unfamiliar with physical literacy, yet already assessed related concepts under different terms. They said they valued the PL-C Quest for hearing children's own perspectives, but said clinical reasoning is needed and it may not suit every child.
• OTPilot2024Feasibility of OT-Parentship: An intervention for parents of adolescents with autism.The British journal of occupational therapyTen families completed a 13-session coaching programme for parents of teens with autism. Parents reported high satisfaction, and their own and their child's performance in daily tasks improved significantly, with gains maintained at three-month follow-up.
• OTCase Report2024Using recognition testing to support semantic learning in developmental amnesia.Neuropsychological rehabilitationIn one boy with developmental amnesia, learning new facts via multiple-choice recognition tests led to double the recall after one week compared to open-ended recall tests. This suggests using repeated recognition quizzes to support semantic learning in children with memory impairment.
• PTOTCohort2024Psychological predictors of performance-based physical functioning among pediatric pain program participants.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineYouth in a four-week pain program improved on treadmill endurance and gross motor tests. Baseline depression predicted worse endurance and catastrophizing predicted worse motor skills, but neither predicted outcomes after treatment.
• OTSLPQualitative2024The effectiveness of the use of a technology toolkit on activities and mother-child interactions: children with complex care needs.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologySome children with complex care needs stayed longer with toolkit items such as a vibrating speaker or talking parrot, and mothers sometimes followed their lead more in four families observed at home. The researcher's presence may have shaped these observations.
• PTOTPilot2024The IndieTrainer system: a small-scale trial exploring a new approach to support powered mobility skill acquisition in children.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyChildren with severe mobility limitations using a device that turns their manual wheelchair into a power trainer showed significant gains in understanding and executing power wheelchair skills. Parents reported high satisfaction. However, without a control group, it is unclear if the device itself caused these improvements.
• PTOTOther2024Assessment of mental health and quality of life among children with congenital heart disease.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineChildren with congenital heart disease had more mood and anxiety disorders than healthy comparison children, and cyanotic children had the lowest quality-of-life scores. The study compares groups. It does not show that treatment works.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Barriers and facilitators to parent-delivered interventions for children with or infants at risk of cerebral palsy. An integrative review informed by behaviour change theory.Disability and rehabilitationParents delivering home therapy for children with or at risk of cerebral palsy often felt underprepared, time pressed, and emotionally strained. Clear knowledge, coaching for skills, realistic goals, flexible home programmes, family support, and stable therapist relationships were described as facilitating delivery.
• PTOTPilot2024The feasibility and acceptability of integrating dogs into inpatient rehabilitation therapy with children with acquired brain injury.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationDogs were feasible to add to inpatient PT/OT for 16 children with acquired brain injury: dogs attended 56 of 59 PT and 55 of 59 OT dog sessions, with no adverse events and high satisfaction from families and therapists.
• PTOTCase-Control2024Elevated blood pressure in children with cerebral palsy and its relationship with adiposity and physical activity.Disability and health journalChildren with cerebral palsy had higher diastolic blood pressure than matched typically developing peers. This elevation was linked to visceral fat, not body mass index or physical activity levels. Standard BMI screening may miss this risk, suggesting blood pressure checks are vital for this group.
• PTOTRCT2024Feasibility of a home-based home videogaming intervention with a family-centered approach for children with cerebral palsy: a randomized multiple baseline single-case experimental design.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationEleven children improved on at least one chosen upper-limb daily activity after an 8-week home program that included videogame play, weekly monitoring calls and family goal setting. Only three of 13 met their weekly active playtime goal for six weeks.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Incidence and outcomes of pediatric patients with dual diagnosis of traumatic spinal cord injury and brain injury on an inpatient rehabilitation unit.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPediatric patients with spinal cord injury and suspected brain injury showed no significant difference in functional recovery compared to those with spinal injury alone. However, agitation and attention problems appeared only in the suspected brain injury group, suggesting these symptoms may signal an undiagnosed concurrent condition.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Socioeconomic factors in inflicted traumatic brain injury: Examining the area deprivation index.Rehabilitation psychologyIn children with inflicted brain injury, a neighborhood deprivation index did not predict death, intensive care stay, or follow-up visits. Hispanic/Latino children lived in more deprived neighborhoods. Older children were more likely to die, stay longer in intensive care, and have fewer visits.
• OTSLPQualitative2025"I'm completely off base here on what this child is capable of": A qualitative analysis of how medical ableism manifests in PICU clinicians' care of children with severe neurological impairment.Disability and health journalPICU clinicians admitted they often underestimate children with severe neurological impairment because they only see them at their sickest. They suggested using photos of the child at home and asking parents specific questions to correct these biases and provide more personalized care.
• PTOTCase Report2024"Virtual reality fixed me": A case report of the use of virtual reality during intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineA child in intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment described virtual reality as helping her move, reduce pain focus, and feel safe. Therapists observed improvements, but this is a single person, not proof virtual reality works.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Exploring the perspectives of health care professionals on digital health technologies in pediatric care and rehabilitation.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationClinicians planning to use more digital tools valued their patient benefits but worried they might harm the therapeutic relationship. Ease of use predicted successful adoption, while lack of training and poor infrastructure predicted failure. Barriers differed by technology type.
• PTOTOther2024Cortical activity during online motor control in children with and without developmental coordination disorder: a cross-sectional functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChildren with DCD took significantly longer to correct reaching movements when a target shifted. They showed less brain activation in the left superior parietal cortex during these corrections. This reduced activation correlated with their slower movement times, suggesting a difficulty processing real-time sensory feedback.
• PTOTCase Report2024A confounding pediatric spinal cord injury: Anterior, central, or both?Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineA two-year-old with a cervical spinal cord injury recovered distal arm function before proximal strength. This atypical pattern, combined with conflicting imaging and clinical signs, makes standard adult prognostic models unreliable for predicting long-term recovery in young children.
• PTOTCohort2024Does diagnosis matter? Evaluating impact of pediatric chronic pain diagnosis on pain and function.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineChildren with chronic pain improved in pain and function after an interdisciplinary program, regardless of diagnosis. Most baseline differences between pain types disappeared by discharge, though those with widespread pain continued to show more emotional impairment.
• OTOther2025Brief Reports: Influence of Friendship on Loneliness Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Japan.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdolescents with autism reported higher loneliness than peers, and this difference was fully explained by lower companionship scores. For therapists, this suggests that facilitating shared activities and time spent together with friends may be more critical for reducing loneliness than addressing conflict or communication skills alone.
• OTSLPCohort2024Brief Report: The Factors Associated with Social Cognition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children without intellectual disability scored lower than neurotypical peers on theory of mind, working memory, and inferential thinking. Theory of mind was the strongest differentiator, correctly identifying 82% of the autistic group, but performance relied heavily on general cognitive abilities.
• OTSLPCohort2025Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Times of COVID-19: Examining Emotional and Behavioral Problems, Parental Well-Being, and Resilience.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism did not show a larger increase in emotional and behavioral problems during the COVID-19 lockdown than typically developing peers. Parental mental health and social connectedness were not associated with how children’s problems changed. Individual variability was high, meaning some children worsened while others remained stable or improved.
• OTSurvey2025Brief Report: The Impact of COVID-19 on Parental Stress and Learning Challenges for Chinese Children with SpLD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with specific learning difficulties reported high stress during remote learning. This parental stress was linked to lower child self-esteem and poorer family quality of life, with online learning challenges and behavioral difficulties being key drivers.