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 42 OF 50 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTSLPOther2026Hair Cortisol in Young Children with Autism and Their Parents: Associations with Child Mental Health, Eating Behavior and Weight Status.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism had higher hair cortisol than peers, but their own stress levels did not link to their eating, weight, or behavior. Parent-reported stress, however, correlated with child problem behavior and emotional eating, suggesting parental well-being is a stronger marker than the child's biology.
• OTSLPOther2026Child and Family Characteristics Associated with Symptoms of Anxiety in Autistic Children: A Biobank Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersPoor sleep was the only factor linked to all four types of anxiety in autistic children. Those with the worst sleep habits had up to 9.23 times higher odds of separation anxiety compared to those with the best sleep.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026The Knowledge and Preferences of Parents/Carers of Autistic Children and Young People about Technology Devices.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of autistic children overwhelmingly prefer tablets for support programmes, citing ease of use and familiarity. They reject virtual reality and robots due to sensory overload, cost, and unfamiliarity. These preferences reflect current household technology access rather than proven clinical effectiveness.
• OTOther2026Components of Empathy in Children: Factor Structure of the Empathy Quotient for Children (EQ-C).Journal of autism and developmental disordersA single empathy score can hide different problems. The child empathy questionnaire split into social understanding, emotional empathy, negative interactions and antisocial behaviour. Children with special educational needs showed lower empathy across these domains.
• OTSLPQualitative2026"Just Listen to Me. Help Me Explore it." An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Exploring Experiences of Gender Dysphoria, Identity And Resilience in Autistic Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adolescents assigned female at birth described gender distress as both physical and social. They found social transition helpful for social distress but not body mismatch. Clinicians should listen for repeated words as signs of distress, as patients often struggle to articulate it.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025The risk of epilepsy after neonatal seizures.Developmental medicine and child neurologyNeonatal seizures increase the risk of epilepsy, with about one in five affected children developing it by age 22. The risk is highest in the first year but stays elevated through adolescence. Four out of five children with neonatal seizures do not develop epilepsy.
• OTSLPQualitative2026The Transition to Kindergarten for Hispanic and Latine Autistic Children: A Focus Group Study with Caregivers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFour mothers said early, ongoing partnership with school helped their child adjust and made advocacy easier. They said technical language and teachers' limited autism knowledge made kindergarten transitions harder. They also relied on trusted parents, therapists, and family.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026A Qualitative Analysis of Unintentional Injuries in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMothers of autistic children identified specific behavioral traits driving injury risk: communication deficits that hide pain, fixated interests (especially water), motor coordination issues, and elopement. Safety instruction must be adapted to non-verbal strengths, using visual supports and physical barriers rather than verbal warnings alone.
• OTSystematic Review2025Taking stock of psychosocial rehabilitation in children and adolescents: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAcross 18 studies of time-limited rehabilitation for children and adolescents with physical conditions, pooled before-after improvement was moderate, but only 4 studies contributed data and only 2 had controls.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Genetic testing in cerebral palsy with clinical and neuroimaging variables.Developmental medicine and child neurologyClinicians support genetic testing for cerebral palsy but lack clear guidelines on who to test. In a retrospective cohort, no single clinical or MRI factor reliably predicted a genetic cause after multivariable analysis, though dysmorphic features and normal MRI were suggestive in univariable models.
• PTOTRCT2025Participation in activities of daily living after the Akwenda Intervention Program for children and young people with cerebral palsy in Uganda: A cluster-randomized trial.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy in rural Uganda who received the Akwenda program increased their attendance in daily activities more than waiting-list controls. Gains were largest for those with greater mobility limitations and in community activities like celebrations and employment.
• OTSLPOther2026Teacher-Student Interactions of Autistic Adolescents: Relationships between Teacher Autonomy Support, Structure, Involvement and Student Engagement.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTeachers rarely offered autistic students choices, spending most time neutral. Structure helped engagement, but only when clear. Involvement showed no consistent link to engagement. Autonomy support was the rarest positive interaction.
• OTSLPOther2026Social Functioning in Autistic Children with Below-Average vs. Average IQ: Limited Behavioral and Neural Evidence of Group Differences.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children with below-average IQ scored worse on direct face-memory, theory-of-mind, and role-play tasks, but caregivers reported similar everyday social functioning. Brain responses showed limited differences.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026Examining Virtual Reality Interventions for Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersVR social skills training shows promise for children with autism, but results are inconsistent. Many studies lacked control groups or failed to show skills transferring to real life. It is not yet proven superior to standard therapy.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Barriers and Facilitators to Participating in Pediatric Oncology Rehabilitation: Childhood Cancer Survivor and Caregiver Perspectives.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationChildhood cancer survivors and caregivers identified barriers to rehabilitation participation, including inconsistent providers, lack of oncology-specific knowledge in community therapists, and insurance gaps. Facilitators included building trust through consistent care, flexible scheduling for treatment side effects, and clear discharge planning.
• OTSLPOther2026Chronic Parenting Stress in Parents of Children with Autism: Associations with Chronic Stress in Their Child and Parental Mental and Physical Health.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with autism showed high reported stress linked to poor mental health and emotional eating. Hair cortisol, a biological stress marker, correlated between parents and children but did not match reported stress levels. Higher biological stress in mothers linked to higher glucose.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Sex Differences in Subacute Blood Biomarker Levels and Associations With Post-Concussion Symptom Severity in Adolescents With Concussion.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationIn adolescents with concussion, females had higher tau levels than males. Biomarkers linked to symptoms differently by sex: p-tau181 correlated with cognitive issues in both, but NFL and UCH-L1 predicted physical symptoms in males and emotional symptoms in females. These are associations, not diagnostic tools.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Disorder Type and Severity as Predictors of Mental Health in Siblings of Children with Chronic Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHow severe the child's condition is predicts sibling mental health problems. The specific diagnosis itself does not. Fathers' ratings of severity matched siblings' own reports better than mothers' did. Screen for risk based on functional impairment and daily life disruption, not just the diagnostic label.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026Exploring the Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) for Children with ASD Across Countries: A Systematic Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersDogs and horses dominated human-animal interaction for children with ASD, and animal-assisted interventions were more common than pet ownership. Country patterns differed, with US home-based pet ownership and Europe/Asia therapy-animal use.
• OTSLPCohort2026Adaptive Functioning Across Contexts: A Comparison of Parent and Self-Reported Ratings in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic teens and young adults rated their social adaptive skills higher than their parents did. Parent and self-ratings disagreed across all areas, and autistic youths' self-ratings aligned with an independent social functioning rating.
• OTCohort2026Unpacking housing needs: Utilization of rental assistance among a national sample of households with children with disabilities.Disability and health journalChildren with disabilities are overrepresented in HUD rental assistance, making up 8% of assisted households. They are significantly more likely to receive Housing Choice Vouchers than Multi-Family Housing, suggesting these flexible vouchers are the primary mechanism for families managing disability-related housing needs.
• OTSLPQualitative2026Theory of Change of Caregiver Coaching for an Early Parent-Mediated Autism Intervention.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCoaches described how joint goal setting, modeling, and feedback build caregiver confidence and skill. Embedding strategies in daily routines helped families maintain them. Caregivers valued improved connection and reduced stress over specific developmental milestones.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Community participation, physical activity, and quality of life for children born very preterm.Developmental medicine and child neurologyHelpful environments and active participation linked to more movement and better quality of life. Adapting physical or social demands of community activities may support children, especially those born very preterm, more than targeting child impairment alone.
• PTOTCohort2025Overground robotic walker use in the home and community: a six-month prospective cohort study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationOver six months, family-directed use of a robotic walker in the home was associated with modest improvements in walking ability, physical activity, and sleep. Most participants remained wheelchair users, and gains rarely crossed the threshold for clinical importance.
• OTSLPCohort2025Deep developmental phenotyping in children with tuberous sclerosis complex, with and without autism.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn children with tuberous sclerosis, autism was common, and autistic children had more intellectual disability, language deficits, executive dysfunction and externalizing behaviour. ADHD symptoms were frequent in both groups. Formal language screening is warranted even without autism or intellectual disability.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as a moderator of the efficacy of family-based problem solving after pediatric traumatic brain injury.Rehabilitation psychologyFamily-based problem solving improved daily functioning in teens without ADHD, but not those with pre-injury ADHD. Teens who developed ADHD after injury showed delayed gains at 18 months. Identify ADHD history before prescribing this intervention.
• OTSLPCohort2026Developmental Profiles of Young Children Referred for Concern for Autism Spectrum Disorder: DBPNet Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCognitive function did not differ between children referred for autism concern who were later diagnosed with autism and those not diagnosed, but language and adaptive skills were lower in the diagnosed group.
• OTOther2026Unintentional Drowning Incidents Involving Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Treated in US Emergency Departments, 2016-2020.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism are more likely than other children to end up in the emergency department for drowning, and more likely to die or be admitted. Drownings in this group occur more often in pools, natural water, and bathtubs, and affect older children more frequently.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Seizures in childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy.Developmental medicine and child neurologySeizures occurred in 29% of boys with childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, linked to higher MRI lesion scores and functional impairment. No seizures occurred with a Loes score under 6. X-ALD should be considered in boys presenting with first-time seizures.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Mobility device use in children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy used more mobility devices as they aged, with wheelchair likelihood increasing yearly. Lower-extremity braces were the most common device across all severity levels. Walkers and standers were underused compared to clinical need, suggesting gaps in equipment access rather than prescription.
• PTOTPilot2025Non-invasive assessment of muscle spasticity in children with cerebral palsy undergoing botulinum toxin treatment using near-infrared spectroscopy.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationMuscle oxygenation measured by NIRS rose significantly after botulinum toxin injections in children with cerebral palsy, peaking at 6 to 10 weeks and returning to baseline by 6 months. These changes correlated with reduced spasticity scores, suggesting NIRS could track treatment response.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Parental perspectives on family-centered care in pediatric neurology: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyParents of children with neurological conditions rated respectful care highly but general information poorly. They felt responsible for coordinating care across therapists and schools, often seeking answers online due to gaps. Quality of life scores were lower for older children and families facing access barriers.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Parent Perspectives on Water Safety for Children with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of autistic children described constant vigilance and avoidance of water due to elopement risks and poor danger awareness. They reported that standard swim lessons often fail because instructors lack autism-specific training, sensory-friendly environments, and adaptive communication strategies.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Autism Early Intervention Providers: Their Priorities, Use of Empirically Supported Practices, and Professional Development Needs.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAustralian early intervention providers mostly used evidence-based practices but often mixed them with unsupported ones, especially for sensory needs. Confidence in addressing sensory and motor domains was low, while priority and training interest focused on communication, behavior, and social skills.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2026Self-perceived fatigue in relation to activity and participation in adolescents and adults with cerebral palsy living in urban South Africa.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineAdolescents and adults with cerebral palsy in urban South Africa reported similar levels of self-perceived fatigue to their typically developing peers. Fatigue was not associated with how accomplished or satisfied they felt in daily activities, challenging assumptions derived from high-income country studies.
• OTOther2025Autism Spectrum Disorder Phenotypes Based on Sleep Dimensions and Core Autism Symptoms.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFour sleep-symptom profiles emerged: one baseline group; similar sleep problems with fewer autism and ADHD symptoms; insufficient and disturbed sleep with sensory and ADHD symptoms; daytime sleepiness with older age, anxiety, depression, and weaker writing and math. Screen sleep patterns, not just sleep complaints.
• OTCohort2025The screening Hand Assessment for Infants: Feasibility, validity, and reliability based on parents' recordings.Developmental medicine and child neurologyParents recorded a short play session at home, and the screening Hand Assessment for Infants scored similarly to the clinic version. Trained raters agreed strongly on total hand scores, and most parents found the session easy. This is about assessment, not treatment.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025'I shouldn't have to educate their school about what autism is': Community attitudes and parent reports of autistic primary and secondary school experiences in Australia.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMost Australians support school adjustments for autistic students, but parents report these are rarely provided. While 90% back staff training and peer education, fewer than 1 in 8 schools deliver them. This gap forces parents to constantly advocate, often resulting in school changes and distress.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Scoping Review of Socio-Ecological Factors Contributing to Sleep Health Disparities in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSleep problems in children with autism are linked to anxiety, ADHD, and low family income, not just autism itself. Most research ignores race and poverty, so current guidelines may not fit diverse or underserved families.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Autism Spectrum Disorder and Health-Determining Behaviors: Assessing Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep with the National Survey of Children's Health.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children rarely meet health guidelines, especially for screen time and sleep. Physical activity rates matched peers when measured as daily activity, but autistic children were less likely to be active four or more days a week. Irregular bedtime linked to poorer outcomes.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Aligning Perspectives: Autism Identity, Independence, Participation, and Quality of Life in Autistic Adolescents Through Self and Parental Reports.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents underestimate their autistic teen's independence and quality of life compared to the teen's own report. Teens who feel overwhelmed by their diagnosis report lower emotional and social well-being. Assess both perspectives to target support for identity acceptance and daily autonomy.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Respiratory admissions and impact of COVID-19 lockdowns for children with severe cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyLockdowns cut respiratory hospital admissions for children with severe cerebral palsy by nearly half, but admissions surged after restrictions lifted. Viral infections were the main trigger. This suggests community transmission drives these crises more than chronic lung disease alone.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Use of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory - Computer Adaptive Test in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway.Developmental medicine and child neurologyThe Danish, Dutch, and Norwegian PEDI-CAT largely match the original US item difficulty, but show structural issues like multidimensionality and local dependency. Scores remain reliable for measuring function and responsibility, though clinicians must interpret results with caution.
• OTOther2025Autonomy in children and adolescents with visual impairment: Validation of the Visual Impairment Developmental Autonomy scale.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn Italian children and adolescents with visual impairment, the VIDA scale gave consistent autonomy scores across age groups. Parents and therapists generally agreed, except for table manners and clothing, so these areas need discussion.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Predictors of community participation from preschool to school age in children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy participated far less in their community than at home, and this gap persisted from preschool to school age. Preschoolers rated as having strengths in prosocial behaviour had higher community participation at school age.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025Pilot rural-urban comparison of health care experiences among autistic adolescents and young adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceRural autistic young adults faced more barriers to finding providers and getting dental care covered, but reported similar ease of access and provider communication as urban peers. This suggests local resource gaps, not poor care once found.
• PTOTSLPOther2025A core outcome set to assess chronic pain interference and impact on emotional functioning for children and young people with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyConsensus identified 20 tools to assess how chronic pain affects daily life and emotions in children and young people with cerebral palsy, including proxy and observational options for those who cannot self-report.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Inequalities of the Waiting Time for Education Health and Care Plan Provision for Pupils With Intellectual Developmental Disabilities: A Brief Report.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRChildren with genetic intellectual disabilities from the most deprived areas waited significantly longer for Education, Health and Care Plans than those from the least deprived areas. Waiting times also varied by region and disability type, with specific learning difficulties facing the longest delays regardless of background.
• OTSLPSurvey2025Caregiver concerns for autistic children differ between publicly funded educational and mental health settings: Findings from a community implementation-effectiveness trial.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCaregivers named aggression, social communication problems and attention problems among their top concerns. Mental health caregivers reported more aggression; school caregivers reported more social problems and repetitive behaviors.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Early detection of infants with neurodevelopmental concerns indicative of cerebral palsy in a lower middle-income country (India).Developmental medicine and child neurologyCommunity health workers in India reliably screened high-risk infants for cerebral palsy using video-based movement assessments. The General Movements Assessment was highly sensitive but prone to false positives. The Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination offered better overall accuracy. Early detection is feasible in low-resource settings.