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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.

1,906 PAPERS · PAGE 12 OF 39 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCohort2020The relative influence of intellectual disabilities and autism on sensory impairments and physical disability: A whole-country cohort of 5.3 million children and adults.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIntellectual disabilities were associated with much higher odds of sight loss, hearing loss and physical disability than autism alone. Autism was also independently linked to these impairments, but to a lesser extent. Both conditions require heightened vigilance for sensory and physical health issues.
• PTCase Series2021Evaluation of a passive pediatric leg exoskeleton during gait.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalFour children walked in a passive leg exoskeleton. Two with hemiparesis showed improved joint symmetry and variable speed changes, while two typically developing children were largely unaffected. The small sample size means this device is not yet proven to help.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Age of First Walking and Associations with Symptom Severity in Children with Suspected or Diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism walked independently later than peers, and later walking linked to more severe autistic symptoms. This association held after adjusting for IQ and other factors. Delayed walking is not specific to autism, but warrants considering autism as a possible diagnosis, especially in girls.
• PTOTRCT2020Immersive Virtual Environments and Wearable Haptic Devices in rehabilitation of children with neuromotor impairments: a single-blind randomized controlled crossover pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn children with cerebral palsy or developmental dyspraxia, immersive virtual reality with haptic feedback did not show better hand-function test results than conventional therapy. Some movement smoothness measures favoured virtual reality, but the trial was very small.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Multi-stage Screening in Early Intervention: A Critical Strategy for Improving ASD Identification and Addressing Disparities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEmbedding two-stage autism screening in Early Intervention caught 83.7% of diagnosed cases. Follow-through was high, and gaps in diagnosis for children of color or those with limited English vanished after Stage 1. This model helps therapists identify risk without relying on pediatric referrals.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2021Developmental outcomes after early surgery for complex congenital heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Developmental medicine and child neurologyInfants with complex heart defects score below average on motor and cognitive tests. Single-ventricle patients continue to have lower IQ and language issues into school age, while two-ventricle patients often catch up to typical ranges.
• PTOTCohort2020Motor behaviour in infancy is associated with neurological, cognitive, and behavioural function of children born to parents with reduced fertility.Developmental medicine and child neurologyInfants with slow adaptability and performance scores had lower IQs at age 9. Slow adaptability also predicted less optimal neurological function. Non-optimal variation and fluctuating fluency were linked to more internalizing problems, though these behavioural differences were small.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Measuring child functioning: Assessing correlation and agreement between caregiver and child responses at the Iganga-Mayuge health and demographic surveillance site in Uganda.Disability and health journalChildren aged 11 to 17 in Uganda reported their own disability levels with agreement similar to their caregivers. Clinicians can trust child self-reports for physical and cognitive domains, but should still interview caregivers to capture context and mental health nuances.
• PTOTQualitative2021Participation in leisure activities from the perception of children with disabilities and their families in Brazil.Journal of rehabilitation medicineChildren with disabilities and their families identified environmental barriers as the main obstacle to leisure participation, outweighing physical limitations. Overprotective family attitudes and inaccessible public spaces were frequent barriers. Family support and adapted environments were the primary facilitators.
• PTMeta-Analysis2021Effectiveness of exercise interventions for children with cerebral palsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of rehabilitation medicineExercise interventions for children with cerebral palsy improved gait speed and muscle strength, but did not significantly improve gross motor function. The positive findings for speed and strength were unstable, disappearing when certain trials were excluded from the analysis.
• PTOTCohort2021Brief report: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health behaviors in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Disability and health journalIn nine adolescents with ASD, self-reported physical activity fell from 4.17 to 2.27 days per week, while screen time rose. Sleep duration did not change, but four said bedtime shifted later.
• PTOTCase-Control2021Mu Rhythm during Standing and Walking Is Altered in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy Compared to Children with Typical Development.Developmental neurorehabilitationChildren with unilateral CP showed lower peak brainwave frequencies and altered connectivity during standing compared to typically developing peers. However, brain activity changes during walking were similar between groups. These EEG measures may help track motor development, but need larger studies.
• PTOTPilot2020Virtual Reality in Pain Rehabilitation for Youth With Chronic Pain: Pilot Feasibility Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesIn 17 youth receiving intensive pain treatment, Fruity Feet was feasible and acceptable. Among 8 with repeated daily reports, pain, fear, avoidance, and functional limitations decreased, while activity engagement and pain reactivity did not change.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Prevalence of intellectual disability among eight-year-old children from selected communities in the United States, 2014.Disability and health journalIntellectual disability affected 11.8 of every 1,000 eight-year-olds in nine US states. Prevalence was twice as high in boys as girls and highest in Black children. Rates dropped as neighborhood income and education rose. Children in lower-income areas were tested later.
• PTOTCohort2021IQ and Sensory Symptom Severity Best Predict Motor Ability in Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism had lower motor scores than children in the typically developing or intermediate groups, but sensory symptom severity and IQ predicted motor ability better than diagnosis. Assess sensory and cognitive factors before assuming motor problems follow from diagnosis alone.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2020Parents' knowledge of their child with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: An interpretative synthesis.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDParents of children with profound disabilities describe knowing their child through a physical, intuitive bond. This knowledge is hard to transfer via written logs but can be shared by showing caregivers how to interact or by telling stories, helping them understand the child's needs.
• PTCohort2020Motor atypicalities in infancy are associated with general developmental level at 2 years, but not autistic symptoms.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceReaching movements at 10 months did not track autistic symptoms at 24 months. They tracked general developmental level, and subtle differences appeared in infants with an autistic sibling compared with infants without one.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021The impact of injury: The experiences of children and families after a child's traumatic injury.Clinical rehabilitationInjured children and parents describe discharge as a time when hidden problems surface. Late-onset fatigue, fear of re-injury, and coordination gaps leave families feeling abandoned. Therapists should proactively manage activity restrictions and screen for post-traumatic stress symptoms after hospital discharge.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Measurement of range-of-motion in infants with indications of upper cervical dysfunction using the Flexion-Rotation-Test and Lateral-Flexion-Test: a blinded inter-rater reliability study in a clinical practice setting.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapyTwo manual tests for infant neck stiffness show poor agreement between therapists. The tests cannot reliably measure reduced mobility. Therapists should not use these tests alone to diagnose or decide on treatment for infants.
• PTPilot2020The Motor skills At Playtime intervention improves children's locomotor skills: A feasibility study.Child: care, health and developmentOutdoor play with added motor stations and brief demonstrations was linked to greater locomotor skill gains than usual free play over 15 weeks. Ball skills did not show a clear group difference.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021A High Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Preschool Children in an Immigrant, Multiethnic Population in Sweden: Challenges for Health Care.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn a high-immigrant Swedish district, 3.66% of preschoolers were diagnosed with autism, rising to 4.32% with later cases. Most had intellectual disability and multiple risk factors, including maternal migration and family history, challenging standard care models.
• PTCase-Control2021Impact of COVID-19 lockdown in children with neurological disorders in Italy.Disability and health journalLockdown was linked to fewer viral-like symptoms in 514 children with neurological disorders in Italy: risk was about 80% lower than before lockdown. Yet 67.7% had specialist visits cancelled and 90.6% of children who usually received rehabilitation lost face-to-face sessions.
• PTOTRCT2020Intensive upper extremity training improved whole body movement control for children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy.Gait & postureHABIT improved tray-carrying symmetry but not walking. CIMT improved walking speed and stride length but not tray symmetry. Both improved toe clearance. Neither approach fixed both hand and leg problems, so choose the intervention based on the specific deficit you want to treat.
• PTOTSystematic Review2020Meniscus or Cartilage Injury at the Time of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear Is Associated With Worse Prognosis for Patient-Reported Outcome 2 to 10 Years After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Systematic Review.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyPatients with ACL tears who also have meniscus or cartilage injuries report worse knee function and quality of life two to ten years after surgery. These concurrent injuries are a strong predictor of poor long-term outcomes, unlike age or sex which showed no association.
• PTOTOther2020Construct Validity of a Task-Oriented Bimanual and Unimanual Strength Measurement in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.Physical therapyA new measure of task-oriented strength in children with unilateral cerebral palsy correlates moderately with grip strength but poorly with functional skill scores. It captures strength during lifting tasks, not general manual dexterity or parent-reported performance, so it adds distinct information rather than replacing existing assessments.
• PTOTSLPRCT2020A web-based daily care training to improve the quality of life of mothers of children with cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled trial.Research in developmental disabilitiesMothers of children with severe cerebral palsy who added a 12-week web-based care training to routine occupational therapy reported better physical health quality of life and less musculoskeletal pain. Anxiety, depression, and stress did not improve more than with routine care alone.
• PTOther2020Comparison of Kristjansson Respiratory Score and Wang Respiratory Score in infants with bronchiolitis in a hospital emergency department.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoThe Kristjansson Respiratory Score showed better agreement between a physician and a physiotherapist than the Wang score when assessing infant bronchiolitis in an emergency department. Both scores correlated only fairly with oxygen saturation, so SpO2 alone should not determine severity.
• PTCohort2021Symptoms upon postural change and orthostatic hypotension in adolescents with concussion.Brain injuryAdolescents with acute concussion did not meet blood pressure criteria for orthostatic hypotension more often than healthy controls, but they reported lightheadedness or dizziness on standing more often. Dizziness was linked with abnormal eye movement testing, not blood pressure drops.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021The Emergence of Autism Symptoms Prior to 18 Months of Age: A Systematic Literature Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersInfants later diagnosed with autism showed subtle deficits in gaze, smiling, gestures and motor skills from 6 to 12 months, before full symptoms appeared. These early signs were often less frequent typical behaviors rather than unusual excesses, making them hard to spot without careful monitoring.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2020Parents' perceptions and concerns about physical activity participation among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents describe promoting physical activity as an overwhelming burden. They struggle to find activities that are predictable, meaningful and adaptable, often relying on rigorous planning and advocacy to manage their adolescent's anxiety and social difficulties.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2020Sleep health practices and sleep knowledge among healthcare professionals in Dutch paediatric rehabilitation.Child: care, health and developmentAllied health professionals in Dutch paediatric rehabilitation addressed sleep less often than physicians, had low sleep knowledge, and many did not feel they knew enough. If you work with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, ask about sleep and refer when needed.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Prevention and management of respiratory disease in young people with cerebral palsy: consensus statement.Developmental medicine and child neurologyRespiratory disease is a leading cause of death in cerebral palsy, but there is no high-level evidence that any intervention prevents or treats it. These guidelines rely on expert consensus to recommend risk screening for swallowing, mobility, and reflux.
• PTOTQualitative2020Swedish parents' experiences of their role in treatment for children with congenital limb reduction deficiency: Decision-making and treatment support.Child: care, health and developmentSwedish parents of children with congenital limb reduction deficiency described making treatment choices as both expected and uneasy, wanting clinicians to support their decisions rather than make them. They also carried daily device practice, school coordination, and aftercare duties.
• PTQualitative2020Aspects of the minds of mothers of children with developmental but no intellectual disabilities and the nature of these disabilities.Journal of physical therapy scienceMothers of children with developmental disabilities without intellectual impairment described a slow realization of the problem because the children appeared typical in early years. Anxiety peaked when school failure and social rejection damaged the children's self-esteem, leading to severe distress.
• PTSLPCohort2021Mortality in 787,666 school pupils with and without autism: A cohort study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceSchool-aged pupils with autism in Scotland did not have a higher overall risk of death than their peers. The mortality rate was similar between groups, though neurological conditions like epilepsy were the most common cause of death in the autism group.
• PTOTOther202124-hour activity for children with cerebral palsy: a clinical practice guide.Developmental medicine and child neurologyA parent-completed checklist covering sleep and activity for children with cerebral palsy took 5 to 10 minutes on average. Clinicians reviewed it in no more than 2 minutes, and pilot feedback was positive, but validation is still needed.
• PTOTPilot2021Cardiovascular Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Bimanual Training in Children With Cerebral Palsy.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationCombining brain stimulation with hand therapy did not improve heart rate or blood pressure control in children with cerebral palsy. The study was too small to confirm any benefit, and the treatment did not change autonomic function as hypothesized.
• PTOther2020An epidemic of new-born photography poses: the potential dangers of passive end range positioning during induced sleep in 0-14-day-old neonates: a scoping review.Journal of physical therapy scienceWhite noise can induce sleep and modulate pain, which may allow passive end-range neck positions in newborn photography. Post-mortem studies link extreme extension or rotation to vertebral artery compression, but no study tested this in living babies.
• PTOTSLPOther2020The Effect of Vibration Therapy on Walking Endurance in Children and Young People With Cerebral Palsy: Do Age and Gross Motor Function Classification System Matter?Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationChildren and young people with cerebral palsy walked 12% further on average after 20 weeks of vibration therapy. Those with limited mobility (GMFCS levels III and IV) saw the largest percentage gains, increasing by 40% and 57% respectively. Age did not significantly change the absolute benefit.
• PTSLPCase Report2021ATP1A3 variants and slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia without paroxysmal or episodic symptoms in children.Developmental medicine and child neurologyTwo children had slowly worsening cerebellar ataxia and mild to moderate intellectual disability, without paroxysmal attacks. Both carried new de novo ATP1A3 variants. No episodic signs were reported.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Sleep Assessments for Children With Severe Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationNo single sleep assessment captures all relevant domains for children with severe cerebral palsy undergoing postural care. Clinicians should pair the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children with actigraphy to track changes over months, as no individual instrument met all suitability criteria.
• PTOTSurvey2021The effects of COVID-19 restrictions on physical activity and mental health of children and young adults with physical and/or intellectual disabilities.Disability and health journal61% of parents of children and young adults with physical or intellectual disabilities reported negative physical changes, and over 90% reported worse mental health during UK lockdown. Median sitting time increased from 2 to 4 hours daily to 4 to 6 hours daily.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021START-Play Physical Therapy Intervention Impacts Motor and Cognitive Outcomes in Infants With Neuromotor Disorders: A Multisite Randomized Clinical Trial.Physical therapyInfants with significant motor delays showed short-term gains in sitting, fine motor skills, and problem solving with START-Play. Infants with mild delays showed no benefit and some negative long-term motor trends. The study was underpowered, so results are tentative.
• PTRCT2021Clinical utility of the over-ground bodyweight-supporting walking system Andago in children and youths with gait impairments.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 18 children with walking impairments, Andago was practical to set up, generally accepted, and produced more varied step timing than treadmill walking. It does not prove the device improves walking.
• PTSurvey2021Physiotherapists' use of airway clearance techniques during an acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis: a survey study.Archives of physiotherapyPhysiotherapists routinely prescribe airway clearance techniques during bronchiectasis exacerbations, favoring directed huffing, physical exercise, and oscillating PEP devices. They base these choices on patient presentation and contraindications rather than evidence, despite perceiving these specific techniques as highly effective.
• PTOther2021The construct and concurrent validity of brief standing sway assessments in children with and without cerebral palsy.Gait & postureFor children with cerebral palsy, brief standing sway tests of 5 to 25 seconds can match the validity of the standard 30-second test. This applies specifically to eyes-closed measures in the side-to-side or rotational directions, potentially helping clinicians assess children who cannot stand still long enough for traditional protocols.
• PTOTPilot2021Preliminary Improvements in Dynamic Postural Control after A Group-based Intervention Program for Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Brief Report.Developmental neurorehabilitationA 10-week group program improved dynamic balance but not static balance in 12 children with DCD. Nine participants improved their dynamic control scores. The lack of a control group and small sample size mean this is preliminary evidence, not proof the program works.
• PTRCTAn Implementation Approach Comparison of a Child Care Center-Based Obesity Prevention Program.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPBoth delivery methods changed some eating habits in child care centers, but neither improved body mass index growth. The program included policies, lessons, teacher role modeling, and parent workshops.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Mediating effects of family functioning on the relationship between care burden and family quality of life of caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities in Mongolia.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDBetter family functioning partially buffered the link between care burden and poor family quality of life. For therapists, assessing how a family communicates and copes is as crucial as measuring the child's disability, as these dynamics directly influence the family's well-being.
• PTOTSLPPilot2021Take it personal! Development and modelling study of an indicated prevention programme for substance use in adolescents and young adults with mild intellectual disabilities and borderline intellectual functioning.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIn six adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities, a tailored prevention programme was feasible and well-liked. Reported substance use decreased after the intervention, but the study was too small to confirm the programme caused this change.