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 40 OF 50 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSurvey2025Parental and Educator Perceptions of Implementing Standardized Screenings for Early Detection of Motor Skills in Preschoolers: A Representative Survey.Child: care, health and developmentParents and educators in Tyrolean kindergartens strongly support adding standardized motor screenings to routine care. They view these assessments as essential for early detection and school readiness, though they urge that screenings remain voluntary, playful, and integrated into daily routines to avoid burdening families.
• OTCohort2025Comparative Analysis of Autistic Women Across the Lifespan: Childhood vs. Adulthood Diagnosis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic women and non-binary people diagnosed in adulthood reported more psychological distress and fewer personal strengths than those diagnosed in childhood, despite higher education and employment rates. Nearly one-third endorsed suicidal ideation, with significantly higher rates among gender and sexual orientation diverse individuals.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Using game performance measure to assess upper limb motor function in children with neuromotor disorders: a systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationGame-based assessments for children's upper limb function show promise in distinguishing impairment levels, but lack consistent reliability data. They capture movement details better than standard clinical tests, yet cannot currently replace validated measures due to insufficient evidence on consistency over time.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Transitions of 24-H Movement Behaviour Profiles From Schooldays to Weekends and Their Associations With Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being in Czech Adolescents.Child: care, health and developmentAdolescents who kept an active, low-sitting, good-sleep routine from school days to weekends reported higher quality of life. Those who shifted to poorer habits had significantly lower scores. Weekend drop-offs in activity were common, but not linked to worse outcomes.
• PTOTOther2025Smartphone app to support goal setting in pediatric rehabilitation: app development, usability and acceptability study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTherapists found a pediatric goal-setting app easy to use and acceptable, but the study did not test whether it improves goals or child outcomes.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Hospital to Home Transitions for Children With Medical Complexity: A Scoping Review of Healthcare Professionals Experiences.Child: care, health and developmentHealthcare professionals managing hospital-to-home transitions for medically complex children report lacking specific training, clear role definitions, and reliable community support. They describe heavy emotional burdens and frustration with fragmented communication, noting that when coordination fails, families become default case managers.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Developmental outcomes of small infants at a high-risk clinic: A short-term longitudinal study.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsAt 6 months corrected age, 8 of 28 small infants had a screening referral for developmental concerns, especially communication and motor skills. At 12 months, all 17 who attended scored above the developmental test average. This does not prove catch-up.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Socio-Emotional Development in Young Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review.Child: care, health and developmentSocio-emotional difficulties are common in young children with cerebral palsy. Severity of motor disability, communication delays and parenting difficulties were consistently linked to poorer outcomes. Most evidence relies on parent reports and cross-sectional designs, limiting causal conclusions.
• OTQualitative2025Exploring occupational therapy practice with children who are picky eaters and their families.The British journal of occupational therapyAustralian occupational therapists prioritise finding the underlying cause of picky eating before treating it. They tailor interventions to the child's sensory and physical needs and the family's context, often delaying direct feeding therapy to address health issues or caregiver capacity.
• PTOTOther2025Content validity of mobility measures in arthrogryposis multiplex congenita: engaging clinicians and people with lived experience.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStandard mobility tools for children with arthrogryposis miss key aspects like pain, fatigue, and compensatory strategies such as scooting. They do not fully capture real-world mobility challenges, so clinicians should supplement these measures with assessments of assistive device use and environmental barriers.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Developmental Profiles of Young Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Their Associated Predictors.Child: care, health and developmentDeaf and hard of hearing children show higher rates of developmental delay than the general population, with 35% scoring below cut-off in communication. Prematurity, low birthweight, and medical comorbidities predict delays across all domains, regardless of hearing loss severity.
• PTOTCohort2025Engagement With Recommended Developmental Follow-up and Supports Among Infants With Intrauterine Opioid Exposure.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAmong infants with prenatal opioid exposure, 93% were referred to early intervention, but only 73% were evaluated and 58% enrolled. Only 34% attended a developmental follow-up visit. Infants staying with parents attended follow-up less often.
• OTQualitative2025Development of Goal-Achievement Support App to Assist Children and Families in Participating in Meaningful Occupations: Content Validation Using Delphi Method.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesTen pediatric occupational therapists rated the wording, screens, and usability of a new home-support app as acceptable after two rounds. This is not evidence that the app helps children or parents achieve goals.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Father Involvement in the Lives of Their Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the UK.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDFathers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities described performing extensive direct care, including personal care into adulthood. They reported feeling excluded from professional meetings and struggling with mental health while trying to balance work and caregiving. Services often centered on mothers, leaving fathers as secondary participants.
• OTOther2025Protein-Altering Variants' Analysis in Autism Subgroups Uncovers Early Brain-Expressed Gene Modules Relevant to Autism Pathophysiology.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic children with higher and lower IQ had different numbers of protein-altering gene changes. These changes clustered in pathways linked to ion signaling, cognition, gut function, and immunity, and were often active in the developing brain.
• OTSystematic Review2025Digital Psychological Wellbeing Interventions for Family Carers of Children and Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDDigital wellbeing support for carers of people with intellectual disabilities is generally acceptable and often improves stress or mood, but the evidence is weak. No single online programme is proven effective enough to recommend for routine clinical practice.
• PTOTQualitative2025Understanding School Presenteeism and Absence in Adolescents Affected by Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Qualitative Study.Child: care, health and developmentAdolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain and their parents described being at school and taking part as shaped by being believed by staff, having trusted friends, and managing transitions. Walking aids sometimes drew stigma. Adjustments were described as making it easier to stay in school.
• OTOther2025Quality of Life and Mental Health in Caregivers of Children With Down Syndrome and Sleep Problems.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDCaregivers of children with Down syndrome and sleep problems reported significantly lower quality of life across all domains and higher stress than the general population. Depression and anxiety scores did not differ from norms. These findings suggest a need for psychosocial support but do not prove sleep problems caused these outcomes.
• OTCase-Control2025Oculomotor deficits in children with sensory processing difficulties.The British journal of occupational therapyChildren with sensory processing difficulties made more errors on anti-saccade tasks and showed less accurate vertical eye tracking. They had faster reaction times for correct anti-saccades. No differences were found in basic saccade timing or amplitude.
• PTOTOther2025ABILHAND-kids young CP: a measure of manual ability in young children with cerebral palsy aged 2 to 7.Journal of rehabilitation medicineA new 17-item caregiver questionnaire measures manual ability in children with cerebral palsy aged 2 to 7. It covers daily tasks like dressing and eating with high precision, filling the gap for younger children before standard school-age tools apply.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Exploring Early Childhood Development Interventions for Building Human Capital in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review.Child: care, health and developmentNutrition-focused interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa consistently reported growth benefits, but multidimensional programs showed mixed results. Early learning and responsive caregiving interventions were scarce, leaving gaps in evidence for developmental outcomes beyond physical growth.
• OTProtocol2024Using intervention mapping to develop an occupational therapy informed intervention for adolescents experiencing mental health difficulties.The British journal of occupational therapyThis paper outlines how a new occupational therapy intervention for adolescent mental health was designed using Intervention Mapping and MOHO theory. It describes the programme structure but reports no patient outcomes because the intervention has not yet been tested.
• OTOther2025The Adaptation and Translation of a Transition Readiness Scale for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe adapted Transition Readiness Scale reliably measures autonomy and social skills in autistic young adults, including Spanish speakers. Higher readiness scores linked to less depression and better quality of life, offering a culturally responsive tool for planning adult services.
• OTQualitative2025Risk and Protective Factors for Burnout Among Parents of Children With Complex Care Needs: Parents' Perspectives.Child: care, health and developmentParents of children with complex care needs described burnout as building from many pressures: care bureaucracy, poor support, guilt, perfectionism, financial strain, and no option to stop caring. Some said they felt protected by asking help, setting boundaries, and seeing their situation as stable.
• OTSystematic Review2025Trauma-informed or sensory-based practices in preschool settings: A scoping review.Australian occupational therapy journalOnly 18 studies exist on trauma-informed or sensory-based practices in preschools. Most involved educators rather than therapists, and few measured child outcomes. This maps a gap in evidence for occupational therapy interventions rather than confirming what works.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Identifying Issues in Effective Motor Imagery Training Practice in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Scoping Review.Occupational therapy internationalMotor imagery training studies in children with developmental coordination disorder varied in tasks, dose, and imagery checks. Some reported motor skill gains, but no standard method exists, and this scoping review could not confirm effectiveness.
• PTOTOther2025Efficacy of Hand Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy in Improving Real-World Bimanual Performance and Identifying Predictors for Therapy Success in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.Physical & occupational therapy in pediatricsIn children with unilateral cerebral palsy, 30 hours of bimanual therapy increased real-world affected-hand use and self-reported performance, but one movement measure did not change. No control group.
• OTSLPCase Series2025Exploring Self-Reported Quality of Life in Developmental Language Disorder.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsFive young people with DLD reported good general life satisfaction but specific barriers in school and health services. Those with higher nonverbal ability or better language skills sometimes reported poorer well-being, possibly due to masking challenges in unsupportive environments.
• OTSurvey2025Convergent Validity of the Feeding and Eating in AutiSm Together Assessment (FEAST).The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy AssociationCaregiver reports on FEAST lined up with two established feeding questionnaires for overall mealtime challenge severity. Its sensory, oral motor, and gastrointestinal subscales showed weaker links with the comparison tools. OTs can use it for feeding assessments.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Effectiveness of Sound-Based Interventions for Improving Functional Outcomes in Children: A Systematic Review of the Evidence.Occupational therapy internationalSound-based music therapies, including Safe and Sound Protocol, were reported to improve children's language, listening, behaviour and emotional regulation, but the evidence was small, mixed and too limited to prove benefit.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Transportation Access in the Transition to Adulthood: Navigating a Neurotypical World on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers and providers describe autistic youth hitting barriers in transit, driving tests, and school travel training. Sensory overload, stigma, and poor coordination with schools block independence. Low-income families face higher costs and fewer options, deepening inequities in adult outcomes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025The Caregiver Concerns Questionnaire: A Tool to Target Care for Children on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers of autistic children rated moderate or severe problems in 7 of 19 areas on average. Language and attention concerns dropped with age, while anxiety and social interaction concerns rose. Sleep and gut issues tracked with behavioral problems.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Application of Sensory Subtypes: Understanding Core Autism Features, Adaptive Behaviors, and Motor Skills in Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children classified as having extreme-mixed sensory differences showed significantly lower motor skills, adaptive behavior, and higher repetitive behaviors compared to those with mild sensory differences. Children with attenuated-preoccupied sensory profiles demonstrated notably higher motor skills than the extreme-mixed and sensitive-distressed groups.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Using photovoice to engage underserved children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their caregivers in health research: a mixed methods systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPhotovoice is a feasible research method for engaging children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their caregivers, but it requires significant adaptation. Clinicians should expect to modify consent, group sizes, and discussion formats to accommodate communication and sensory needs, as standard protocols often fail.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2025Associations of Adaptive Behavior and Wandering with Serious Injuries in Young Children with Autism: Study to Explore Early Development.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor preschoolers with autism and significant early learning delays, wandering is associated with higher rates of serious injury. Conversely, those with learning delays but normal adaptive behavior skills had higher injury rates than those with delays in both areas, possibly due to caregiver overestimation of safety awareness.
• OTSLPOther2025Elevated Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Autistic Youth and Adults: A Multinational Study.Autism in adulthoodIn this suicide-enriched sample of autistic people, many reported lifetime suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or attempts, and ideation increased through adolescence and early adulthood. The youngest reported attempt was at age 7.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Quality of life in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: A cross-sectional comparison.The South African journal of physiotherapyAdolescent girls with scoliosis reported quality of life scores similar to healthy peers. The primary comparison found no significant difference in physical, psychological, or social well-being between the two groups.
• OTOther2025Transfer of skills acquired through Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach in children with executive functions deficits following acquired brain injury.Australian occupational therapy journalAfter CO-OP therapy during multidisciplinary rehabilitation and specialised schooling, 11 children with brain injury improved on 22 of 32 new goals they had not trained. Children with involved parents made goal progress; children with poor or no involvement made little or no progress.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Chores Participation, Self-Efficacy, and Transition Readiness in Youths With Diabetes: Preliminary Results.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthYouths with diabetes who did more household chores independently reported higher readiness to manage their own healthcare. Self-efficacy fully or partially explained this link, suggesting chores build the confidence needed for the transition to adult care.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Caregiver and student perspectives on school services for students with traumatic brain injury during the COVID-19 pandemic.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineFamilies described remote learning as often failing to deliver necessary accommodations, with teachers overlooking plans and students unable to engage with screens. However, some found flexibility and self-pacing reduced anxiety and helped them manage symptoms and appointments better.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Social development of girls with a physical disability during adolescence: Parent perspectives.Rehabilitation psychologyMothers of girls with physical disabilities reported that puberty amplified the gap between their daughters and peers. Girls struggled to find friends who understood their daily medical routines. This led to increased self-consciousness and hesitancy to socialize, even for those who appeared to have good friendships.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Characteristics of pediatric patients with sports-related concussions: A single site retrospective review.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicinePediatric sports concussions peak during each sport's season, with football leading. Uninsured or Medicaid patients were more likely to present to the emergency department, miss follow-up appointments, and require a longer period to complete the same number of visits as privately insured patients.
• PTOTSLPOther2026A national consensus-based framework on preferred assessments and interventions in current treatment for young people with acquired brain injury in Dutch rehabilitation centers.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineDutch rehabilitation teams agreed on 37 assessments and 25 interventions for young people with acquired brain injury. The list covers physical, occupational, speech, and social work domains to standardize care, though most tools were not specifically validated for this population.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Impact of intensive, multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation on functional independence following pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI): A matched cohort study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineIn matched pediatric ABI inpatient cohorts, higher-intensity and lower-intensity therapy did not differ for functional independence at discharge. Both groups improved. OT minutes were associated with better discharge scores, but this was observational and not proven causal.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Multidisciplinary rehabilitation and follow-up for children hospitalized with traumatic brain injury.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineOver half of children hospitalized with traumatic brain injury had new functional impairments requiring fresh referrals at their first follow-up clinic. Earlier inpatient therapy consultations were associated with discharge to home, but this was a single-center observational study.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Differential effects of sport type on brain versus orthopedic injury and sports benefits in the adolescent brain cognitive development study.Brain injurySoccer and American football linked to higher mild brain injury risk in 9-10 year olds. Climbing showed higher brain injury risk than broken bones. Sports participation associated with better behavior and cognition in children with prior brain injury, though causality cannot be determined.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2025Effects of Nordic Walking in people with respiratory diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of rehabilitation medicineNordic walking did not beat other exercise on six-minute walk distance in the main analysis. It outperformed no exercise, but the positive result relied on removing one outlier study. All included trials had high risk of bias.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Evaluating the safety of a robotic supine gait training device for pediatric rehabilitation - a retrospective study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineNo adverse events were recorded in 280 children and adolescents using a robotic supine gait training device. The emergency stop button was never pressed. This supports safety for traction and mobilization but does not prove the device improves function or reduces pain.
• PTOTCohort2026Clinical predictors of post-concussion kinesiophobia severity among adolescents.Brain injuryAdolescents with more severe initial concussion symptoms reported greater fear of movement. Prior musculoskeletal injuries were linked to lower fear of movement during recovery. Demographics and concussion history showed no association with kinesiophobia severity.
• PTOTSLPPilot2026Service Acquisition for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Rural Southwest Virginia: The Role of Caregiver Psychoeducation.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers who attended live clinician-led psychoeducation sessions reported their children obtained significantly more new services over six months than those given paper materials only. The live sessions involved interactive discussion and personalized guidance on navigating systems like IEPs and insurance.