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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 4 OF 39 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTCase-Control2017A comparison of the balance and gait function between children with Down syndrome and typically developing children.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren with Down syndrome had significantly poorer balance and shorter, slower gait than typically developing peers. Unlike their peers, their balance did not improve with age, suggesting the need for continued physical therapy intervention after they learn to walk.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Long-Term School Outcomes of Children and Adolescents With Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationChildren with severe TBI need school support services immediately. Those with mild or moderate injuries often appear fine at two years but require comparable support by six years post-injury. Monitor academic performance long-term, not just at discharge.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Comparison of differences in respiratory function and pressure as a predominant abnormal movement of children with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren with ataxic cerebral palsy had the lowest lung capacity and inspiratory strength, while those with spastic type had the highest. Dyskinetic type fell in between. Assessing respiratory function is necessary because these differences depend on the specific movement disorder.
• PTOTRCT2016Skilled Bimanual Training Drives Motor Cortex Plasticity in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairIn children with unilateral cerebral palsy, 90 hours of structured bimanual skill training enlarged hand movement areas in the brain and strengthened muscle responses to brain stimulation. Unstructured play did not. Both groups improved hand function similarly.
• PTRCT2017Vojta therapy and neurodevelopmental treatment in children with infantile postural asymmetry: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceVojta therapy reduced infant postural asymmetry more than NDT over eight weeks. Both groups improved; Vojta had a 2.96-point greater reduction on a 24-point scale.
• PTOTSLPCohort2016Association Between Facility Type During Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation and Functional Outcomes.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationChildren treated at children’s hospital rehabilitation units had shorter stays and gained function faster than those at other facilities. After adjusting for illness severity, they ended with only 2.3 more cognitive points. This difference is likely too small to matter clinically.
• PTOther2017Concurrent Validity Between Live and Home Video Observations Using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationThe average gap between home video and live Alberta Infant Motor Scale scores was 0.46 items on a 58-item scale, and the methods did not consistently differ. Home video scores were close to live scores.
• PTOTOther2017Effects of gross motor function and manual function levels on performance-based ADL motor skills of children with spastic cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren with mild to moderate spastic cerebral palsy classified at GMFCS or MACS Level III had lower ADL motor skill scores on real tasks than Level I children, especially during dressing, shoe donning, and cereal preparation.
• PTCohort2016Dynamic motor control is associated with treatment outcomes for children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy who showed more complex muscle activation while walking improved more in gait, speed and function after treatment. It did not predict energy cost. Motor control may help guide prognosis.
• PTRCT2017Aerobic Exercise for Adolescents With Prolonged Symptoms After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAdolescents with lingering concussion symptoms who did symptom-limited home cycling improved faster on their own symptom reports than those doing stretching. Parent reports did not show the same difference.
• PTOther2017A study on the physical fitness of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis had lower muscle strength, sit-up endurance, lung capacity, and skeletal muscle mass than healthy controls. Flexibility was close to age-specific averages in both groups.
• PTProtocol2017Understanding Brain Reorganization in Infants With Perinatal Stroke Through Neuroexcitability and Neuroimaging.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationNo results are reported for infants with perinatal stroke. Planned brain scans and brain stimulation tests cannot change practice yet.
• PTOTSLPCohort2016Early gross motor skills predict the subsequent development of language in children with autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn children with autism, later walking onset predicted slower language growth, but this link vanished once general motor ability and nonverbal IQ were accounted for. Overall gross motor skills remained a significant predictor of language development.
• PTOther2016Differential item functioning in the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Pediatric Short Forms in a sample of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologySome PROMIS mobility and pain items behaved differently in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy, so total scores may not mean the same as in the comparison sample. Fatigue scores were more similar. Check how children interpret items before comparing scores.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2016Functioning and disability in autism spectrum disorder: A worldwide survey of experts.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchExperts worldwide most often named brain structure, voluntary movement control and higher cognitive functions as central to ASD functioning. They also reported strengths and gender differences. This survey informs assessment categories, not tested interventions.
• PTOther2017Maximal respiratory pressure in healthy Japanese children.Journal of physical therapy scienceHealthy Japanese children showed higher pressures when breathing in and out across age groups, and boys showed higher pressures than girls. Age, height, and weight were positively related to the pressures.
• PTOther2017Walking activity during daily living in children with myelomeningocele.Disability and rehabilitationIn daily life, children with mid-high lumbar myelomeningocele averaged 4867 steps/day, lower than sacral, low lumbar and typically developing groups at 9166 to 9657 steps/day. Sacral and low lumbar step totals were similar to controls.
• PTOTCohort2017Using diffusion tensor imaging to identify corticospinal tract projection patterns in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyDiffusion tensor imaging (DTI) identified the corticospinal tract in 81.8% of cases where TMS confirmed it, offering a practical alternative for children who cannot tolerate TMS. In children with bilateral connectivity, the tract from the damaged side showed poorer integrity than the healthy side.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Bayley-III motor scale and neurological examination at 2 years do not predict motor skills at 4.5 years.Developmental medicine and child neurologyBayley-III motor scores and neurological exams at 2 years did not predict motor difficulties at 4.5 years. Children with normal 2-year scores often developed significant motor problems later. Do not rely on these early assessments to rule out future motor issues in at-risk children.
• PTOther2016Quantifying passive muscle stiffness in children with and without cerebral palsy using ultrasound shear wave elastography.Developmental medicine and child neurologyUltrasound calf muscle stiffness was higher in children with cerebral palsy than matched typically developing children. Relative to their own relaxed position, stretch response was similar. Stiffness did not track spasticity, function level, or botulinum toxin history.
• PTCohort2017A comparison of outcomes of asymmetry in infants with congenital muscular torticollis according to age upon starting treatment.Journal of physical therapy scienceInfants with congenital muscular torticollis who began ultrasound, massage, manual stretching and passive stretching before six weeks had a larger reduction in sternocleidomastoid thickness difference than those starting later. Head tilt and overall scores improved too. No single component can be credited.
• PTCohort2017Relationships Between Age at Menarche, Walking Gait Base of Support, and Stance Phase Frontal Plane Knee Biomechanics in Adolescent Girls.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationEarlier first period was linked to a wider walking stance and inward knee bending during walking in 46 healthy adolescent girls. This may help therapists spot higher knee-injury risk, but the study did not test injuries.
• PTOTSystematic Review2017A systematic review of high quality randomized controlled trials investigating motor skill programmes for children with developmental coordination disorder.Clinical rehabilitationFor children with developmental coordination disorder, individualized task-oriented training, including Neuromotor Task Training and motor imagery with practice, had the strongest support. Wii, core stability, table tennis, Tae Kwon Do and aquatic therapy did not.
• PTOTQualitative2017A qualitative investigation of recovery after femoral fracture in Rett syndrome.Child: care, health and developmentCaregivers of females with Rett syndrome after femoral fracture described subtle, individual pain signs, delayed diagnosis, high stress, strained trust with schools or respite, and that independent walkers recovered while assisted walkers often lost mobility.
• PTOther2017Predictive equations for maximal respiratory pressures of children aged 7-10.Brazilian journal of physical therapyThe equations for Brazilian children aged 7-10 explained only 13.9%, 14.1%, 15.0% and 21.6% of maximal respiratory pressure values, so weight, height and age alone are weak guides.
• PTOTSurvey2017Knee pain in adolescents: prevalence, risk factors, and functional impairment.Brazilian journal of physical therapy22.6% of adolescents reported knee pain in the past week. Pain was more common in older teens and in those not doing school physical education. Girls with knee pain reported greater functional impairment.
• PTOther2017Shoulder pain in adolescent athletes: prevalence, associated factors and its influence on upper limb function.Brazilian journal of physical therapyShoulder pain was common among adolescent athletes, especially older teenagers and judo or handball players. Athletes with pain reported worse upper limb function and had greater internal rotation deficits and lower right external rotation.
• PTOTCohort2017How Receptive Are Patients With Late Stage Cancer to Rehabilitation Services and What Are the Sources of Their Resistance?Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMost patients with late-stage lung cancer refused rehabilitation even when distressed by their limitations. The main barrier was believing they did not need help. Clinicians should expect resistance and discuss why therapy matters before referring, rather than assuming distress drives uptake.
• PTCohort2017Postural control strategies differ in normal weight and overweight infants.Gait & postureOverweight infants reached sitting at the same age as normal weight infants. They moved more side-to-side but had less overall movement while sitting. The study did not follow developmental outcomes.
• PTNarrative Review2017Core outcome sets for research and clinical practice.Brazilian journal of physical therapyCore outcome sets standardize a minimum set of results to measure in trials and practice. For low back pain and osteoarthritis, agreed domains include pain, physical function, and quality of life or patient global assessment. They aid comparison, not treatment proof.
• PTCohort2016Seizure burden and neurodevelopmental outcome in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn neonates with moderate or severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, seizures alone did not predict abnormal development. High seizure burden, over 40 minutes total or over 13 minutes in one hour, was associated with abnormal outcome at 24 to 48 months.
• PTOTSLPCohort2016Sociodemographic Disparities in Intervention Service Utilization in Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFamilies using public insurance received fewer weekly hours of individual therapy than those with private insurance. Non-English speaking families also received fewer hours. Children of Black mothers entered classroom services earlier than White children, though this may reflect differences in prior diagnoses or childcare needs rather than superior access.
• PTSurvey2017Discrepancy between self-awareness and actual diagnosis and treatment of the conditions among adolescent with scoliosis in middle-school age.Journal of physical therapy scienceStudents with a positive forward bend test (>5 degrees trunk rotation) reported a scoliosis diagnosis more often (6.26% compared with 4.08%), but 53.63% of diagnosed students reported no treatment.
• PTOther2017Reliability of center of pressure measures for assessing the development of sitting postural control through the stages of sitting.Gait & postureBody sway measures while sitting were only moderately consistent across stages and repeat trials. They did not clearly outperform session-to-session checks, so they may help track sitting change but are not a dependable standalone diagnostic.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Two-year follow-up of outcomes related to scarring and distress in children with severe burns.Disability and rehabilitationSeverely burned children saw pain, itch, and mobility improve over two years, but distress about facial scarring and foot function persisted in nearly half. Girls reported more pain and sleep problems than boys. Body image concerns remained high throughout the study period.
• PTOther2017Transformative learning experience for physical therapy students through a community health promotion project for mothers of hearing-challenged children.Journal of physical therapy scienceThree mothers of hearing-challenged children had normal fitness and attention test results, but reported back pain history and busy caregiving. Twenty physical therapy students described that the mothers often focused on the children rather than their own exercise.
• PTCohort2016Bone Density in Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder who had bone density scans had lower bone density scores at the spine, hip and femoral neck than matched controls, even after accounting for body size. The sample was small and scans were obtained for clinical concerns.
• PTOTPilot2016Quantifying selective elbow movements during an exergame in children with neurological disorders: a pilot study.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn 33 children with neurological disorders, an airplane exergame measured isolated elbow movement. Scores matched therapists' judgments and trunk/strength measures, but did not worsen when the game became harder.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Effects of taekwondo intervention on cognitive function and academic self-efficacy in children.Journal of physical therapy scienceTaekwondo training improved Stroop Color-Word scores and self-confidence in children, but did not significantly change most other cognitive or self-efficacy measures. The study lacked an active exercise control, so benefits cannot be separated from general physical activity.
• PTOTSLPCohort2016Unmet Health Services Needs Among US Children with Developmental Disabilities: Associations with Family Impact and Child Functioning.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPUnmet health service needs were not linked to children's behavioral problems the next year, but they were common, especially therapy and respite needs, and linked to family financial and employment impacts.
• PTCase Report2017Nonhealing, progressive stress fractures of the foot in a 13-year-old basketball player: is vitamin K deficiency a risk factor?Journal of physical therapy scienceA 13-year-old basketball player had foot bone edema that progressed despite initial immobilization and physiotherapy. Vitamin K was low, but no follow-up level was checked, and return to sport at 6 months cannot be credited to diet.
• PTOTCase Report2017The effects of neck and trunk stabilization exercises on cerebral palsy children's static and dynamic trunk balance: case series.Journal of physical therapy scienceEleven children with cerebral palsy did better on sitting trunk-control scores after eight weeks of twice-weekly sessions that included neck and trunk stabilization. But there was no control group, so this cannot show the exercises caused the gain.
• PTPilot2017Effects of hippotherapy on the thickness of deep abdominal muscles and activity of daily living in children with intellectual disabilities.Journal of physical therapy scienceSeven children with intellectual disabilities had greater transverse abdominis thickness and higher daily-living independence scores after 12 hippotherapy sessions over 6 weeks; other abdominal muscles did not change.
• PTRCT2017The effects of a multisensory dynamic balance training on the thickness of lower limb muscles in ultrasonography in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy who practised a screen-based balance game showed greater increases in several lower-limb muscle thicknesses than children who received general physiotherapy. The study measured muscle size, not walking or function.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Factors Associated with Self-Injurious Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Findings from Two Large National Samples.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSelf-injury in children with autism is linked to sleep problems, sensory issues, aggression, anxiety, and lower adaptive skills. It is also associated with younger age and lower socioeconomic status. These findings support asking about self-injury when these other behaviors or factors are present.
• PTSurvey2017Identification of intervention categories for aquatic physical therapy in pediatrics using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health-Children and Youth: a global expert survey.Brazilian journal of physical therapyAquatic physical therapists agreed on functioning categories they target in children, especially gait, body position, joint movement, muscle tone, and family support. This is expert agreement, not evidence that aquatic therapy works.
• PTOTCohort2017Does Corticospinal Tract Connectivity Influence the Response to Intensive Bimanual Therapy in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy?Neurorehabilitation and neural repairCorticospinal tract pattern did not predict who improved more after intensive bimanual therapy, with lower extremity training at one site. Children with ipsilateral and contralateral patterns improved similarly on several hand function and daily activity measures.
• PTRCT2016Locomotor training through a novel robotic platform for gait rehabilitation in pediatric population: short report.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationThree children with spastic diplegia walked faster, took more steps per minute and had longer steps after 10 sessions on a robotic gait trainer. Because each child had different goals and no control group, this does not prove the robot caused the gains.
• PTNarrative Review2017Modern pain neuroscience in clinical practice: applied to post-cancer, paediatric and sports-related pain.Brazilian journal of physical therapyNo original methods or results are reported. This masterclass narrative review gives a literature-based rationale for applying pain neuroscience to post-cancer, paediatric and sports pain.
• PTOTCohort2016Physical activity and walking performance: Influence on quality of life in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP).Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineParent-reported physical activity was linked to higher physical and total quality-of-life scores. Walking at a higher pace was linked only to the physical score. Neither was linked to the psychosocial score, and older age was linked to lower scores.