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.

1,906 PAPERS · PAGE 3 OF 39 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPRNCohort2025Family Functioning and Parent Behavioural Changes Post-Admission to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Centre Cohort Study.Nursing in critical careMost families maintained healthy functioning after PICU discharge, but caregiver distress strongly predicted poor outcomes. Nurses should screen for caregiver PTSD and mental illness during follow-up, as these affect family cohesion more than the child's clinical severity.
• PTRNQualitative2026The Forgotten Caregivers: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experiences of Fathers of Children With Medical Complexity.Journal of clinical nursingFathers of children with medical complexity described night care, lifting, financial pressure and emotional support as central. They wanted peer support, flexible work, mental health help and physiotherapy for caregiver strain.
• PTOTSLPRNSystematic Review2025Care strategies for children with tracheostomy at school: a scoping review.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PChildren with tracheostomies can attend mainstream schools if the setting provides trained staff, emergency plans, and adapted logistics. Three care models rely on close coordination between families, schools, and healthcare services to ensure safety.
• PTRNSystematic Review2025Parent-Infant Attachment and Gross Motor Development During the First 2 Years of Life: A Systematic Review.Nursing & health sciencesSecure parent-infant attachment and positive interaction were linked to better gross motor development in seven of 10 included studies during infants' first 2 years. The evidence is observational and does not prove cause.
• PTRNQualitative2026Perspectives and Beliefs Surrounding Postpartum Care and Physical Activity of South Asian Immigrant Women in Canada.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieresSouth Asian immigrant mothers in Canada often count housework and childcare as their physical activity, while viewing leisure exercise as optional or guilt-inducing. They relied on online sources for postpartum exercise advice and found outdoor walking limited by cold weather.
• PTSLPRNCohort2025Maternal Racial Differences and Socioeconomic Status in Preterm Infant Neurodevelopment, Feeding, and Growth.Nursing researchPreterm infants born to Black mothers had lower birth weight, younger gestational age, and higher neonatal risk scores; ZIP-code poverty, family size, and income were also linked with neurodevelopment, feeding, and growth outcomes.
• PTQualitative2026Decisions to Access Health Care: Voices From Rural Residents in Southeast Australia.The Australian journal of rural healthRural residents described three ways of deciding to use health care: regular users trusted a GP or navigator, sometimes users weighed cost, travel and past poor care, and avoiders did not believe care would help and found services overwhelming. People moved between them.
• PTPilot2026Classroom-Integrated Kettlebell Training: Effects on Motor Performance, Attention, and Health in Primary School Children.The Journal of school healthBrief daily kettlebell-based classroom training added to usual physical education was feasible and improved sprint performance in second-grade children. Strength, coordination, attention, body composition, and blood pressure showed no meaningful change.
• PTSurvey2026Physical Activity, Sedentary Time, and Obesity in Adolescents: Differences by School Grade.The Journal of school healthKorean adolescents meeting both physical activity and sedentary time guidelines had the lowest odds of obesity (OR 0.54). Sedentary time over 8 hours was associated with higher obesity odds (OR 1.69). Meeting only one guideline was weaker.
• PTOther2026The Effects of Therapeutic Ultrasound on Human Milk Composition: A Quasi-Experimental Pre-Post Design Study.Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant AssociationTherapeutic ultrasound to the lactating breast did not show a change in milk protein or lactose in this study. Milk fat rose by 1.36%, but milk removal alone can cause that, so do not credit ultrasound for it.
• PTRCT2026Recess as a Setting for Child Development: A Randomized Controlled Trial on Physical Activity, Motor Skills and Social-Emotional Functioning.The Journal of school healthStructured recess play did not increase children's physical activity or social-emotional functioning over a school year. Motor skills improved more in the control group than in the intervention group.
• PTPilot2026Improving Pain Literacy Among Future Educators: Contemporary Pain Neuroscience Education in Teacher Preparation.The Journal of school healthAfter two pain neuroscience sessions delivered by a physical therapist, all 15 education students improved pain beliefs, and most improved pain knowledge. Confidence to discuss pain rose, while interest and usefulness stayed similar.
• PTQualitative2026Communication strategies used in pediatric urology by specialist professionals.Revista brasileira de enfermagemSpecialists who treat children with urinary and bowel symptoms described using simple words, analogies, pictures, dolls and games to talk directly with children. Caregivers often led dialogue, but these tools were used to gather symptoms and explain guidance.
• PTSurvey2026Secular Trends in Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Weight Status Among South Korean Adolescents During 2017-2024.The Journal of school healthObesity rose from 10.0% to 12.4%, underweight from 6.9% to 7.5%, and physical activity guideline adherence remained low at 6.7% in 2024. Screen time adherence fell to 19.2% in 2020 and recovered only to 24.5% in 2024.
• PTRNSurvey2026Patients in Every Practice: Health Status and Health Experiences of an International Sample of Adults Born Preterm.Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of NursingMost participants born preterm reported ongoing health concerns, yet 67% had never been asked about preterm birth. Concerns were similar across gestational ages and birth eras, and respiratory, mental health and neurodevelopmental symptoms were common.
• PTRCT2026Peripheral and central vestibular neuromodulation improve postural control in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a randomized, sham-controlled, multi-arm intervention study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis, 20 minutes of noisy vestibular stimulation over the mastoid processes, scalp stimulation over the right parietal cortex, or both reduced immediate sway on a hard balance task. The combined approach gave the largest short-term sway reduction.
• PTOTRCT2026Development of virtual reality in the upper extremities function in children with Cerebral Palsy. A pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationVirtual reality training did not significantly improve upper-extremity range of motion or motor function versus conventional therapy in 42 children with cerebral palsy. A younger 10 to 12 year subgroup showed better self-reported manual ability.
• PTOTOther2026Topological data analysis of postural sway: characterizing balance control during childhood development.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationYounger children show more complex, oscillatory sway patterns than adults. Removing vision increased sway size but not its structural complexity, while standing on one leg increased both. These topological markers track balance maturation in healthy children.
• PTOTQualitative2026Let us tell you how to train us! experiences of children and youth with the Wheelchair Skills Training Program and their preferences for training delivery: a descriptive qualitative study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesChildren and youth using manual wheelchairs liked the Wheelchair Skills Training Program when it matched their goals, used playful practice, and built a supportive trainer relationship. They wanted flexible settings, timing, and dosage. These are experiences and preferences, not evidence that the program works.
• PTOTPilot2026Delivering Virtual Group Interventions for Youth With Persisting Symptoms After Concussion (Move&Connect-Youth) and Their Caregivers (Move&Connect-Caregivers): Fidelity and Engagement Evaluation.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesVirtual group concussion programs for youth and caregivers were mostly delivered as planned. Participants valued facilitator support and peer connection. Youth found exercises sometimes mismatched, and caregivers faced scheduling and material-access barriers. No clinical outcome results are reported here.
• PTCase Report2026Cryoneurolysis for Spasticity in a Pediatric Patient With Cold Urticaria Managed With Targeted Skin Warming: A Case Report.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationOne child with cold urticaria had cryoneurolysis for leg spasticity with active skin warming; no cold flare occurred, and ankle and hamstring range and heel strike improved at 1 month.
• PTCohort2026Biomechanical and functional outcomes of high-burden and low-burden multilevel surgery in young people with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyGait pattern improved after both low-burden and high-burden multilevel surgery in ambulatory young people with cerebral palsy. Functional walking capacity improved only after low-burden surgery; high-burden surgery did not improve walking capacity and walking speed decreased.
• PTCohort2026'They Even Have the Capacity, but the Places Aren't Prepared to Receive Them': Community Environment and Participation of Autistic Children in a Family-Engaged Research Analysis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchNo measured environmental factor or income was linked to autistic children’s community participation frequency, involvement, or desire for change. Caregivers still reported low participation in many activities and barriers like safety, cost, and unprepared places.
• PTCase Report2026Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis Presenting With Paraplegia and a Neurogenic Bladder: A Case Report and Brief Literature Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationA 12-year-old with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and urinary retention regained walking and voiding after steroids, antivirals, antibiotics, catheter training, leg rehabilitation, tibial nerve stimulation and pelvic floor work. Natural recovery and these other treatments mean this is not proof of benefit.
• PTOTPilot2026Adjustable Pediatric Prosthetic Sockets to Accommodate Growth in Children and Adolescents With Limb Loss.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationChildren using an adjustable prosthesis reported better temperature regulation and adjustability than with their conventional devices. Gait speed and socket pressure were unchanged. Half preferred the adjustable socket, but running was often limited by the attached foot components.
• PTPilot2026Intervention to Improve Running and Physical Activity Participation in Children With Generalised Joint Hypermobility: A Feasibility Study.Child: care, health and developmentA 10-week running group was safe and feasible for eight children aged 10 to 15 with hypermobility. Attendance was high and families liked it, but this paper mainly reports feasibility, not full efficacy.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Types of Screen Time and Developmental Outcomes Among Children Aged 0-6 Years in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.Child: care, health and developmentMore recreational screen time was linked with more suspected developmental delays in Thai children. Educational and communication-based screen time were linked with fewer language and personal-social delays in some analyses.
• PTOTSLPOther2016New version of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI-CAT): translation, cultural adaptation to Brazil and analyses of psychometric properties.Brazilian journal of physical therapyBrazilian parents understood the translated PEDI-CAT and rated it as describing daily function. Scores were stable after 7 to 15 days, but the children and youth had normal development.
• PTOTOther2016Effect of Segmental Trunk Support on Posture and Reaching in Children With Cerebral Palsy.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationSupporting the trunk at the ribs, not the pelvis, improved reaching for children with moderate CP. Severe CP required high axillary support for posture. Mild CP showed no benefit from any trunk support. Match the support height to the child's specific trunk control deficit.
• PTOTCase Report2016Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Novel Exoskeleton for an Infant With Arm Movement Impairments.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationA single infant with arthrogryposis contacted objects more at hip and chest while wearing a passive arm exoskeleton than without it, and some reaching improved without the device over time. This cannot prove the device caused the gains.
• PTOther2016Immediate Effect of Positioning Devices on Infant Leg Movement Characteristics.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationInfants moved their legs less often and with less acceleration in a car seat than on their backs or in a jungle gym. The speed at which the legs turned did not change. This was immediate, not long-term development.
• PTRCT2016Effectiveness of prophylactic non-invasive ventilation on respiratory function in the postoperative phase of pediatric cardiac surgery: a randomized controlled trial.Brazilian journal of physical therapyProphylactic CPAP after pediatric cardiac surgery did not improve most respiratory function measures or shorten hospital and ICU stay. Peak expiratory flow was higher on postoperative day 1, but the difference did not persist.
• PTPilot2016Clinical usefulness of brain-computer interface-controlled functional electrical stimulation for improving brain activity in children with spastic cerebral palsy: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceBoth groups showed increased brain-wave activity after six weeks. The supplied table marks within-group changes, so it does not show BCI-FES was better than FES.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2016Measurement of physical activity in obese persons: how and why? A review.Journal of physical therapy scienceNo single method perfectly measures physical activity in obesity. Self-reports are cheap but often overestimated. Pedometers miss non-walking exercises. Accelerometers and heart rate monitors have specific blind spots. Combining sensors improves accuracy but adds cost and complexity.
• PTOTSurvey2016Evaluation of sensory processing abilities following stroke using the adolescent/adult sensory profile: implications for individualized intervention.Journal of physical therapy scienceStroke survivors mostly resembled healthy adults on sensory processing. They differed in low registration, sensation seeking, and sensation avoiding, not in sensory sensitivity. The profile describes patterns, not treatment effects.
• PTOTSLPRCT2016Effect of task-oriented training and high-variability practice on gross motor performance and activities of daily living in children with spastic diplegia.Journal of physical therapy scienceAdding task-oriented or high-variability practice to standard treatment improved gross motor skills and daily living independence in children with spastic diplegia. High-variability practice also improved cognition, while task-oriented training did not.
• PTOTCase Report2016Application of a tri-axial accelerometry-based portable motion recorder for the quantitative assessment of hippotherapy in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceThree children and adolescents with cerebral palsy showed improved walking speed, step length, and balance control after two years of weekly hippotherapy. A portable motion recorder detected these gains immediately after sessions and over time. This small case series supports hippotherapy's potential benefits but cannot prove efficacy for the broader CP population.
• PTCohort2016The impact of exercise training on basal BDNF in athletic adolescents.Journal of physical therapy scienceElite adolescent table tennis players had lower resting blood levels of BDNF than inactive peers. This suggests long-term training lowers baseline BDNF, possibly reflecting efficiency rather than impairment. No significant difference was found in NGF levels.
• PTOTPilot2017Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy for Children With Brain Tumors.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationNine children with brain tumor hemiplegia completed all 15 constraint-induced movement therapy sessions. Quality of life scores did not show a clear change, but arm use improved and was mostly maintained at 3 months.
• PTOTSurvey2016Study on the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceQuality of life in children with cerebral palsy was linked to mental function, pain, movement, self-care, school and social participation, and environmental barriers. These are daily-life and environment factors, not only movement.
• PTOTCase Report2016The effects of neck and trunk stabilization exercises on upper limb and visuoperceptual function in children with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceEleven children with cerebral palsy improved hand function and visual-motor speed after eight weeks of neck and trunk stabilization exercises. Because this was a small case series without a control group, it cannot confirm the exercises caused the gains.
• PTCase Report2016Effect of physical therapy scoliosis specific exercises using breathing pattern on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter eight weeks of scoliosis-specific exercises, one adolescent had lower Cobb angle measurements and trunk rotation measurements, and higher rib cage expansion on deep inhalation. This describes one person, not proof the exercises work.
• PTOTRCT2017Effects of singular and dual task constraints on motor skill variability in childhood.Gait & postureYoung children aged 4 to 6 varied more in finger rotation and in carrying a box while walking than older children. Obstacle crossing did not show age differences. This describes motor variability in children without known conditions, not treatment effects.
• PTOTRCT2017Klapp method effect on idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents: blind randomized controlled clinical trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceKlapp method exercises did not reduce spinal curvature or correct body asymmetry in adolescents with suspected scoliosis. Back extensor strength increased, but the control group also improved, so the exercise alone did not cause this change.
• PTOTOther2016Three-dimensional motion analysis in the elbow joint position sense in children.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 19 healthy children, elbow position sense was more accurate at 30° than at 110° in the right arm. The left arm showed no clear difference, and the dominant arm did not clearly outperform the other.
• PTOther2016Flexibility of internal and external glenohumeral rotation of junior female tennis players and its correlation with performance ranking.Journal of physical therapy scienceJunior female tennis players had less internal rotation in the dominant shoulder than the other side. More internal rotation in both shoulders was linked to better year-end ranking.
• PTOther2016Influence of time restriction, 20 minutes and 94.6 months, of visual information on angular displacement during the sit-to-stand (STS) task in three planes.Journal of physical therapy scienceGirls who kept their eyes closed for 20 minutes showed larger dominant-side ankle movement than girls with eyes open. Compared with eyes-open girls, congenitally blind girls showed larger non-dominant-side ankle movement and larger dominant-side knee movement. Hip movement did not differ.
• PTOther2016Comparison of the psychometric properties of two balance scales in children with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 40 children with cerebral palsy, Fullerton Advanced Balance tasks were harder than Pediatric Balance Scale tasks. The hardest was walking with head turns. The easiest was sitting with back unsupported and feet supported on the floor.
• PTCohort2017A study on asymmetry in infants with congenital muscular torticollis according to head rotation.Journal of physical therapy scienceInfants with congenital muscular torticollis improved in overall assessment scores and head tilt after six months of ultrasound, massage, manual stretching, and passive stretching. More severe rotation asymmetry started with worse scores. No control group means the study cannot show which component caused change.
• PTOTSLPOther2016What do the relationships between functional classification systems of children with cerebral palsy tell us?Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 327 children with spastic cerebral palsy, motor, hand-use, and communication classifications moved together, especially in quadriplegia. Better motor and hand-use levels were associated with being an effective communicator.