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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 43 OF 50 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTOther2025The Visual Impairment Developmental Autonomy scale: Challenges in the assessment of children with visual impairment.Developmental medicine and child neurologyThis commentary critiques the VIDA scale for assessing daily living skills in children with visual impairment. It warns that defining visual impairment is complex and that the scale's scoring may be difficult to interpret. Clinicians should note that functional autonomy assessment remains challenging.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Functional Trajectory of Childhood Stroke in the Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationChildren with new stroke improved significantly in self-care, mobility, and cognition during inpatient rehab. However, those needing agitation medication started lower and gained less. Agitation management is a key predictor of functional recovery in this group.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Caregiver-reported meaningful change in functional domains for individuals with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy: A convergent mixed-methods design.Developmental medicine and child neurologyParents of children with severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathies prioritized small, functional steps like communicating pain or preferences and achieving independent sitting. These specific changes were valued for reducing frustration and improving daily care, offering a concrete framework for setting realistic therapy goals.
• PTOTCase Report2025A Dual Approach to Rehabilitation of an autoimmune ataxia : A case study involving the Adult-Onset Opsoclonus-Myoclonus-Ataxia Syndrome.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationA middle-aged man with autoimmune ataxia regained independence after intensive inpatient rehab. He moved from needing two-person assistance to walking alone, with balance scores rising from 25 to 53 out of 56. This describes one person's recovery, not proof that the specific therapies caused it.
• OTSLPQualitative2025"There is nothing"-Exploring diagnostic and service access for autistic individuals in Uruguay: A qualitative study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceUruguayan caregivers described autism care as delayed and fragmented: doctors avoided naming autism, rushed diagnoses, and families travelled long distances. Services were often the same psychomotor and speech therapy mix, not tailored to each child.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Comparing trajectories of sport participation for autistic- and non-autistic-youth: A group-based multi-trajectory modelling approach.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic children were far less likely to join team sports, with gaps widening as they aged. However, their rates of individual sport participation matched non-autistic peers. This suggests individual sports may be a more accessible entry point for autistic youth.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Impact of the Akwenda Intervention Program for cerebral palsy on caregiver-perceived burden, stress, and psychosocial functioning: A cluster-randomized trial in Uganda.Developmental medicine and child neurologyCaregivers in a 12-month group program in Uganda reported less burden and better quality of life than those receiving usual care. The program combined training, therapy sessions, and peer support. It is unclear which specific component drove the improvements.
• OTSLPCohort2025Bulbar function in children with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 treated with nusinersen.Developmental medicine and child neurologyBulbar function trajectories varied widely in children with SMA1 treated with nusinersen. Many declined over 2 years, especially in type 1b. Improvement on swallowing scores was mostly driven by normal developmental milestones rather than direct treatment effects.
• PTOTCohort2026Motor performance and higher associative cortical networks in adolescents with neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy treated with therapeutic hypothermia.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAdolescents treated with therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy showed significantly lower motor performance scores than controls. Brain imaging revealed increased connectivity between motor and attention networks during movement tasks, suggesting the brain works harder to compensate for motor difficulties rather than having a simple structural deficit.
• PTOTRCT2026Modified sports intervention for improving participation goals and activity competence in ambulant children with cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled trial.Developmental medicine and child neurologyFor ambulant children with cerebral palsy, an 8-week modified sports programme improved parent-set goals for attending and engaging in leisure physical activity more than usual physical therapy. Motor performance goals also improved. However, the programme did not change overall physical activity levels, body functions, or general participation.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Sleep in Infants with Down Syndrome or Familial Likelihood of Autism in the First Year of Life.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of infants with Down syndrome reported fewer sleep concerns at 6 months despite objective data showing similar sleep patterns to controls. By 12 months, both Down syndrome and autism-likelihood groups showed less night sleep and more waking than controls, though concerns remained lower in Down syndrome.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025A scoping review of current approaches to strengths-based transition practices for autistic adolescents.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceStrengths-based transition programmes for autistic teens generally fall into five types, like peer mentoring and career planning. A major gap is the lack of standardised tools to measure these strengths, meaning most studies rely on ad-hoc assessments rather than validated scales.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Synchronous telehealth and face-to-face administration of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale.Developmental medicine and child neurologyTelehealth Alberta Infant Motor Scale scores matched face-to-face scores almost perfectly for 8- and 12-month-olds. Agreement dropped for 4-month-olds. Clinicians can use synchronous telehealth for older infants, saving significant travel time while maintaining accuracy.
• OTSLPQualitative2025'We think differently, we learn differently, but at the end of the day we're not that different': Strengths-based approaches in high school from the perspectives of autistic adolescents.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceSixteen autistic teens described school as most engaging when teachers understood their specific interests, such as coding or writing. They valued clear rules and future-focused career guidance. Generic social programs felt forced, while shared interests helped them build genuine peer connections.
• PTOTOther2026Brain creatine concentrations are associated with sex and symptom severity after concussion: a cross-sectional MR-spectroscopy investigation of adolescents with concussion.Brain injuryIn adolescents recovering from concussion, higher brain creatine measured by MRS was linked to fewer symptoms, less mobility trouble and less pain interference. Males had higher creatine than females. This does not show creatine causes recovery.
• PTOTSLPOther2025The Coexistence of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Positive Childhood Experiences, and Parent-reported Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Severity: National Survey of Children's Health.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren with high adverse experiences and low positive supports had 2.2 times the odds of severe parent-reported ADHD compared to those with low adversity and high supports. Adverse and positive experiences do not operate independently; they cluster in ways that predict symptom severity.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Incidence of developmental disorders and special educational needs and disabilities in children in the UK.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren born even one or two weeks before full term face higher odds of developmental disorders and special educational needs. This risk persists after accounting for deprivation and ethnicity, suggesting early term birth is not harmless.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Age at onset and gene variants predict lifespan and disease duration in childhood neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn children with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, the age at which symptoms first appear strongly predicts how long the patient lives. Later onset meant significantly longer survival and disease duration, while early onset led to rapid decline. Genetic variant severity did not consistently predict this timeline.
• OTSurvey2025COVID-19 Infection and Mitigation for Young Children With Autism and Other Disabilities.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPCaregivers reported more positive tests and more difficulty with masking, handwashing, distancing, and nasal swabs in young children with autism or other developmental disabilities than in population comparison children. No intervention was tested.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Neurological diagnoses in children potentially fulfilling the criteria for developmental coordination disorder.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn children suspected of developmental coordination disorder, neurological exam alone was unreliable for ruling out other conditions. Thirty-eight percent received an alternative diagnosis, with genetic disorders identified in over half of these cases. Clinicians should consider referring for further investigation when motor signs are atypical or progressive.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Benign External Hydrocephalus in a Subgroup of Autistic Children Prior to Autism Diagnosis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchA subgroup of autistic children under two years old had benign external hydrocephalus and enlarged extra-axial cerebrospinal fluid. This pattern was rare in controls and resolved by age four. These findings suggest a specific early brain development issue in some autistic children.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Conductive Education for Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review of Outcomes, Practice Time and Motor Performance Assessment.Child: care, health and developmentConductive education studies reported mixed motor outcomes in children with cerebral palsy: some showed gains, others did not, and the review could not combine the results.
• OTSLPCohort2025Characterizing the Relationship Among the Social Competence Elements in Autistic Adolescents.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn 243 autistic adolescents, face memory processing linked to social behavior and functioning primarily through theory of mind skills. This suggests that social difficulties may stem less from basic perceptual deficits and more from a lack of active cognitive engagement with social cues.
• OTSurvey2025"Being Integrated Does Not Mean Being Included": What Factors Contribute to School Exclusion for Autistic Children?Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research42.3% of autistic children in Ontario had experienced school exclusion. Parents reporting lower satisfaction with their child's Individual Education Plan were significantly more likely to report exclusion. Qualitative data highlighted bullying and inadequate staff training as primary drivers.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Online Health Literacy Resources for People With Intellectual Disability: A Grey Literature Scoping Review.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDROnline health resources for people with intellectual disability mostly cover tests and physical health but lack content for young people's mental health, sexual health, and men's health. While most use accessible language, very few help users evaluate or apply the information.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Brain lesion extent, growth, and body composition in children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyGreater brain lesion extent in children with cerebral palsy predicted shorter stature and lower weight, but not differences in body composition. Gross motor function level, not lesion size, drove fat and muscle changes. Children with high GMFCS levels gained excessive fat mass despite similar weight to peers.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Effectiveness and safety of abobotulinumtoxinA in pediatric lower limb spasticity: A phase IV, prospective, observational, multicenter study.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn children with lower limb spasticity, abobotulinumtoxinA helped most patients reach their specific functional goals. Goal achievement remained high through eight injection cycles, with ambulatory patients doing better than non-ambulatory ones.
• OTQualitative2025Parents of Children and Young People With Long-Term Physical Health Conditions-Experiences of Navigating School.Child: care, health and developmentParents of children with long-term physical health conditions reported schools often failed to manage health, support missed learning, listen to children or include them safely. Parents compensated, advocated, advised and fought for equality. Their advocacy strained home-school relationships and their own well-being.
• OTSLPOther2025Bayesian prevalence of autism and unmet special education needs in Chile in a sample of three million school-age children.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceSchool records in Chile identified 0.46% of children with autism, but linking these to health records revealed a true prevalence of 1.31%. This suggests a large unmet need, with an estimated 25,903 autistic children not accessing school-based support services.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025What are we targeting when we support inclusive education for autistic students? A systematic review of 233 empirical studies and call for community partnerships.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceResearch on inclusive education for autistic students overwhelmingly targets child skills, not environment. Social skills interventions were most common, while physical and sensory adaptations were rare. This gap limits true inclusion, as schools often fail to adjust the setting to support participation.
• OTSLPRCT2025Effectiveness of a Parent Empowerment Program for Parents of Children with Autism: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Child: care, health and developmentParents of children with autism who received training plus motivational interviews reported higher self-efficacy and lower stress than those who did not. However, their perceived care burden did not significantly decrease. The intervention improved parents' confidence and stress levels but did not reduce the weight of daily caregiving duties.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Predictive associations between brain functional connectivity, motor abilities, and executive function development in early childhood: a longitudinal machine learning study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationBrain connectivity patterns in healthy 3 to 6 year olds predicted their motor and cognitive development over 12 months. Sensorimotor network maturation was the strongest predictor for motor skills, while attention and default mode networks best predicted executive function.
• PTOTOther2026Longitudinal reference centiles for the Gross Motor Function Measure-66 in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyNew reference centiles allow therapists to judge if a child's gross motor gain over six months is clinically meaningful. They extend assessment to adolescents up to 18 years and show high agreement with previous methods for detecting both improvement and deterioration.
• PTOTOther2025Healthy Lifestyle Matters: A Network Analysis of Urban Chinese Pre-School Children's Adiposity, Sleep Health, Mental Health, Child Functioning and Health Behaviours.Child: care, health and developmentAge was the strongest linked factor in urban Chinese preschoolers, linking motor coordination, executive function, and activity. It was not linked to mental health. Girls had less activity and more emotional problems, but overall patterns of relationships did not differ by sex.
• OTSLPOther2025Consensus recommendations for usability and acceptability of mobile health autism screening tools.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceExperts and families agreed autism screening apps must use plain language, avoid stigmatizing words like 'abnormal,' and link directly to local early intervention resources. These design choices aim to reduce tech stress and improve access for underserved families.
• OTSLPPilot2025Modulation of Pharyngoesophageal Motility Characteristics During Concurrent Oral Feeding in Infants: Novel Pilot Observations.DysphagiaThickened formula changed swallowing rhythm and made it less coordinated in 12 high-risk infants, especially with faster-flow nipples. This pilot measured swallowing rhythm, not whether thickening is safer.
• OTSLPOther2025Screen to Screen Versus Face to Face: Evaluating Telehealth Autism Diagnostic Assessments for Young Children in a Diverse Clinical Setting.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchA home telehealth assessment matched the in-person autism diagnosis for 19 of 21 children with limited words. It may help clinicians observe autism signs in familiar settings, but the sample was small and not all children were autistic.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Navigating family messaging: Qualitative experiences of Black caregivers of children with autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceBlack caregivers of autistic children described family messages ranging from denial and blame to supportive acceptance. Denial often manifested as treating the child as neurotypical, which caregivers noted could inadvertently minimize their need for specific accommodations and support.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Personalized care of paediatric drug-resistant epilepsy in Africa: A single-centre pilot study utilizing mobile health and genetic testing.Developmental medicine and child neurologyCaregivers reported far fewer seizures via an app than appeared in clinic records. Wearables revealed significantly lower physical activity and sleep quality than parents realized, though engagement dropped by half over six months.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Surgical and health outcomes of non-ambulatory children with cerebral palsy and severe scoliosis: A population-based, longitudinal study.Developmental medicine and child neurologySpinal fusion in non-ambulatory children with severe cerebral palsy scoliosis corrected curves and improved seating and pain for most, but carried high complication and mortality risks. Caregivers of survivors reported high satisfaction, though non-surgical children were too frail for comparison.
• PTOTSLPPilot2025Promoting agency and communication through powered mobility: a single-group, repeated measures intervention using the explorer mini in toddlers with motor disabilities.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTen toddlers with motor disabilities used a powered mobility device for 12 sessions. They showed significant gains in cognition and receptive language on standardized tests, and increased joyful vocalizations during play, though expressive language changes were mixed.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Trajectory of Irritability in Autistic and Typically Developing Youth From Early Childhood to Adolescence.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic girls kept high irritability from early childhood to late adolescence, unlike autistic boys and all typically developing peers who improved. Higher early cognitive ability and lower adolescent psychopathology predicted better outcomes. This suggests monitoring irritability specifically in autistic girls is critical.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025A Systematic Study on Prenatal Opioid Exposure: A Review of Neurodevelopmental Consequences.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren with prenatal opioid exposure showed consistent delays in language, motor, and socioemotional skills. Sensory processing was the most affected domain. These findings suggest therapists should screen for neurosensory and communication delays in this population, regardless of age.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Quality of Life in Autistic Children: Discrepancies Between Self- and Caregiver-Proxy Reports and Associations With Individual Characteristics.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchCaregivers and autistic children disagreed significantly on quality of life. Autism and ADHD features predicted caregiver ratings but not child self-reports. Sensory and sleep difficulties predicted both. Do not assume caregiver proxy scores reflect the child's own experience.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Deaf children's experiences of hearing in everyday life: a systematic review.Journal of deaf studies and deaf educationDeaf children's hearing experiences vary widely and are shaped by noise, device use, and social context. Listening fatigue and misperceptions about their abilities often limit participation in school and social activities. Ask each child directly what accommodations help them.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Exploring Clinicians' Suggestions for Addressing Discrimination Towards Children and Youth With Disabilities With Multiple Minoritized Identities.Child: care, health and developmentClinicians recommended specific anti-ableism training for youth, not just adults. They urged funding for transport and interpreters to remove access barriers. They emphasized co-designing services with disabled youth and ensuring resources reflect diverse cultural backgrounds to reduce discrimination.
• PTOTQualitative2026Fall experiences of ambulatory children and adults with cerebral palsy: A qualitative study using thematic content analysis.Developmental medicine and child neurologyPeople with cerebral palsy described embarrassment and anxiety as more worrying than physical injuries. They often avoid crowds or public spaces. Clinicians should ask about emotional impacts and teach safe falling techniques, as fear of falling limits independence.
• OTSLPSurvey2025The Feeding-swallowing Impact Survey: Reference Values from a UK Sample of Parents of Children Without a Known or Suspected Feeding Disorder.DysphagiaFor UK parents of children without diagnosed feeding disorders, the Feeding-swallowing Impact Survey scores are very low, with a median total of 20 on a 18-90 scale. This provides a baseline showing that typical mealtime challenges rarely cause significant family quality of life impairment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Early Life Neurodevelopment of Infants Across a Wide Gestational Age Range.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPEach extra week in the womb linked to tiny gains in infant development. The effect was smallest for term babies but grew larger for preterm infants. Regular monitoring is advised for all preterm and early term babies.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025A longitudinal evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceChildren with autism reported gastrointestinal symptoms twice as often as typically developing peers, and these symptoms often persisted across childhood. The presence and number of these unexplained symptoms were linked to worse sleep, anxiety, and social communication scores.