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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 5 OF 39 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTCohort2017Robot-aided developmental assessment of wrist proprioception in children.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChildren's wrist position sense improved with age and reached adult performance in early adolescence. Across wrist movements, side-to-side motion was most accurate and least variable. The robot task did not show learning across trials.
• PTOther2017The association between the maximum step length test and the walking efficiency in children with cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceA longer maximum forward step on the dominant side was strongly linked to lower walking heartbeats per meter in 31 children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. Cadence was not linked to walking efficiency.
• PTCohort2017Associations of Anthropometric, Behavioral, and Social Factors on Level of Body Esteem in Peripubertal Girls.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPGirls aged 9 or 10 who were at a healthy weight and active for seven or more hours weekly reported higher body-esteem scores. Television and video game time was not linked. Puberty and media role models were not linked once BMI was considered.
• PTOTSystematic Review2017The effectiveness of robotic-assisted gait training for paediatric gait disorders: systematic review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationRobotic gait training in children with gait disorders has weak, inconsistent evidence. The combined randomised evidence did not show a clear walking-speed advantage over physiotherapy or exercises; small studies reported better standing or walking, but bias and mixed protocols limit confidence.
• PTPilot2017Immediate effects of quick trunk movement exercise on sit-to-stand movement in children with spastic cerebral palsy: a pilot study.Journal of physical therapy scienceNeither natural nor quick seated trunk exercise showed a change in trunk or ankle movement patterns, but both shortened stand-up time in five children with spastic cerebral palsy.
• PTOther2017Validity of using multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure skeletal muscle mass in preschool children.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 94 preschoolers, body fat measured by multi-frequency impedance closely tracked BMI formula estimates. Skeletal muscle mass tracked grip strength and calf circumference, not occlusal force.
• PTOther2017Effect of neurodevelopmental treatment-based physical therapy on the change of muscle strength, spasticity, and gross motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter one year of neurodevelopmental treatment-based physical therapy in 175 children with spastic cerebral palsy, only spasticity decreased; muscle strength and gross motor function did not improve.
• PTOther2017Physical Activity Levels, Frequency, and Type Among Adolescents with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdolescents with autism averaged 29 minutes per day in moderate to vigorous activity, compared with 50 minutes for typically developing peers. They reported similar activity types and frequency. The lower measured activity was not matched by lower reported participation.
• PTOTCase-Control2017Kinesthetic deficits after perinatal stroke: robotic measurement in hemiparetic children.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationChildren with hemiparetic CP from perinatal stroke have measurable kinesthetic deficits. Arterial strokes caused more severe impairments than venous ones. Vision did not compensate for these deficits. Clinical sensory exams often missed the robotic deficits.
• PTSLPCohort2017Infant muscle tone and childhood autistic traits: A longitudinal study in the general population.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchLow muscle tone in infancy was linked to more parent-reported autistic traits at age 6. High muscle tone was not. This was a population study, so it is not a diagnostic sign.
• PTOther2017Quantification of walking-based physical activity and sedentary time in individuals with Rett syndrome.Developmental medicine and child neurologyGirls and women with Rett syndrome who could walk spent an average of 62% of waking hours sedentary. Older age, needing walking help, and frequent seizures were linked to fewer steps.
• PTOther2017Effect of Neuro-Development Treatment on motor development in preterm infants.Journal of physical therapy scienceLow-birth-weight preterm infants assigned to general NICU nursing plus NDT scored higher on motor performance at post-conceptional age 40 weeks than those assigned to general NICU nursing alone. General NICU nursing was given to all, so NDT's separate effect cannot be isolated.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2017Virtual Reality and Serious Games in Neurorehabilitation of Children and Adults: Prevention, Plasticity, and Participation.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationVirtual reality and serious games improve balance and motor function in children and adults with neurological conditions, but evidence for participation and fitness gains is mixed. Dose and system type matter, yet clinical adoption is hindered by lack of training and clear guidelines.
• PTOTNarrative Review2017Activity-Based Therapy: From Basic Science to Clinical Application for Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTIntense, task-specific movement below the spinal cord injury is the core of activity-based therapy. The review also describes a movement-quality scale and three children with chronic SCI reported to change following locomotor training.
• PTNarrative Review2017From Disease to Health: Physical Therapy Health Promotion Practices for Secondary Prevention in Adult and Pediatric Neurologic Populations.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPTThis narrative review proposes health promotion models for physical therapy in neurologic populations. It reports no original methods or results, so there is no single study finding to act on.
• PTNarrative Review2017Coupling Timing of Interventions With Dose to Optimize Plasticity and Participation in Pediatric Neurologic Populations.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationThis is a narrative review about dosing and timing in pediatric neurologic populations. It has no original patient data or trial results, so there is no finding to act on.
• PTOTCohort2017Therapy Use for Children With Developmental Conditions: Analysis of Colorado Medicaid Data.Pediatric physical therapy : the official publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy AssociationColorado Medicaid infants and toddlers with more chronic conditions were more likely to receive physical or occupational therapy, at higher doses and spending. Those with developmental delays used more PT/OT than those with developmental diagnoses.
• PTSurvey2017Interrelationship between postural balance and body posture in children and adolescents.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn 308 children and adolescents, visible posture measures were not linked to standing balance sway. Age and body mass index had weak links to sway. Posture treatment and balance training should be considered separately.
• PTMeta-Analysis2017Bone Mass in Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersBoys with autism spectrum disorder on risperidone had lower trabecular bone density and bone strength at the ultra-distal radius than boys with other psychiatric disorders. Total body less head and spine bone scans were not significant.
• PTRCT2017Effect of yoga practices on micronutrient absorption in urban residential school children.Journal of physical therapy scienceAfter 12 weeks of supervised yoga, children in the yoga group ended with higher blood zinc, iron, magnesium, and copper than before. Compared with controls, zinc, iron, and magnesium differed; copper did not.
• PTOTSLPCohort2017Occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology in the neonatal intensive care unit: Patterns of therapy usage in a level IV NICU.Research in developmental disabilitiesMore therapy was not associated with better neurobehavior, though earlier SLP initiation was related to better self-regulation. 100% of infants received OT and PT, and 51% had an SLP evaluation.
• PTSLPCase-Control2017Medical Conditions in the First Years of Life Associated with Future Diagnosis of ASD in Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersBefore an ASD diagnosis, language delay was much more common in records of children later diagnosed, especially with global delay or central nervous system problems. Motor delay without language delay was also more common.
• PTOTOther2017A comparison of the function, activity and participation and quality of life between down syndrome children and typically developing children.Journal of physical therapy scienceDown syndrome children had more difficulty in body function, activity and participation, and lower parent-reported quality of life than typically developing children. In the Down syndrome group, function, activity and participation, and quality of life scores were related.
• PTRCT2017Can Lokomat therapy with children and adolescents be improved? An adaptive clinical pilot trial comparing Guidance force, Path control, and FreeD.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationIn adolescents using Lokomat gait training, Path Control increased some leg muscle activity, but fewer walked physiologically than with Guidance Force. FreeD produced the least physiological therapist-rated patterns and some discomfort.
• PTRCT2017Task-Specific and Functional Effects of Speed-Focused Elliptical or Motor-Assisted Cycle Training in Children With Bilateral Cerebral Palsy: Randomized Clinical Trial.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairWalking speed did not improve in children with bilateral cerebral palsy after speed-focused elliptical or cycle training. They moved faster on the device they trained on, but not on the other device.
• PTOther2017The motor repertoire in 3- to 5-month old infants with Down syndrome.Research in developmental disabilitiesMost infants with Down syndrome had abnormal fidgety movements and reduced movement quality. Their movement quality was lower than typical infants but higher than infants later diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
• PTOTSLPOther2017General Pediatrician-Staffed Behavioral/Developmental Access Clinic Decreases Time to Evaluation of Early Childhood Developmental Disorders.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPA general pediatrician access clinic saw children under 5 sooner for developmental evaluation: 159 days instead of 327 for already scheduled patients, and 11 days for new callers.
• PTOther2017Associations Between Maternal Mental Health and Well-being and Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Children.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPThe main links between mothers' mental health and children's measured activity did not hold up after the researchers accounted for testing many associations. In single-parent households, more parenting stress was linked to about ten fewer active minutes daily.
• PTOther2017Content validity and test-retest reliability of a low back pain questionnaire in Zimbabwean adolescents.Archives of physiotherapyA Zimbabwean adolescent low back pain questionnaire was judged relevant by experts, but answers about sciatica and functional limitation were inconsistent between assessments. Use it to screen pain and factors, not to score function.
• PTOTOther2018Development of a parent-reported questionnaire evaluating upper limb activity limitation in children with cerebral palsy.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyA parent-completed 19-item questionnaire for children with cerebral palsy covered upper limb activity from severe to mild limits. It can be completed at home, but change after therapy has not yet been tested.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2018Postural disorders in mouth breathing children: a systematic review.Brazilian journal of physical therapyMouth-breathing children often show forward head posture and spinal curve changes, but the evidence linking these is weak. All included studies had low methodological quality and used inconsistent measurement tools, so clinicians should not treat this association as established.
• PTOther2018Mechanisms contributing to gait speed and metabolic cost in children with unilateral cerebral palsy.Brazilian journal of physical therapyGait speed in children with unilateral cerebral palsy was linked to elastic energy return and knee co-contraction, while higher metabolic cost tracked knee co-contraction. This suggests training push-off power and eccentric control within task-specific gait work, not strength alone.
• PTOTSystematic Review2017Effects of interventions with therapeutic suits (clothing) on impairments and functional limitations of children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review.Brazilian journal of physical therapyTherapeutic suits for children with CP have weak evidence. DEFO and TheraTogs studies reported posture and gait improvements while worn. TheraSuit/AdeliSuit trials did not show a clear suit-only effect. Full body suits caused discomfort.
• PTOTRCT2017Accelerometer-Determined Physical Activity and Clinical Low Back Pain Measures in Adolescents With Chronic or Subacute Recurrent Low Back Pain.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapyAccelerometer data showed no meaningful link between how much adolescents with chronic low back pain moved and their pain, disability, or quality of life. Activity levels did not explain clinical symptoms, suggesting movement volume alone is not a reliable marker of severity.
• PTRCT2017H-reflex changes in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: a randomized clinical trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceDirection-sensitive exercises guided by H-reflex asymmetry reduced spinal curvature more effectively than traditional exercises in adolescents with mild scoliosis. Both groups improved, but the reflex-guided approach showed greater gains in Cobb angle and H-reflex symmetry after 12 weeks.
• PTCohort2018Analysis of different anthropometric indicators in the detection of high blood pressure in school adolescents: a cross-sectional study with 8295 adolescents.Brazilian journal of physical therapyBody measurements like BMI and waist circumference are linked to high blood pressure in adolescents but are poor screening tools. They miss most cases, generating many false alarms. Use them only to flag students for proper blood pressure testing, not to diagnose.
• PTOther2017The relationship between the physical cost index and knee extensor strength in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, stronger knee extensors were linked to less heart rate rise during walking. This suggests knee strength may relate to walking effort, but the study did not test whether strengthening helps.
• PTOther2017Reliability of the test of gross motor development second edition (TGMD-2) for Kindergarten children in Myanmar.Journal of physical therapy scienceTGMD-2 scores for kindergarten children in Myanmar were similar between examiners and when the same examiner rescored videos. Retest agreement was lower, and children scored higher on the second occasion.
• PTOTOther2017Relationship between gross motor function and the function, activity and participation components of the International Classification of Functioning in children with spastic cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn children with spastic cerebral palsy, ICF Activity and Participation scores were related to GMFM, GMFCS, MACS, WeeFIM, and ICF Function scores. This is an association, not proof that training improves participation.
• PTOther2017Gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Kindergarten children in Myanmar.Journal of physical therapy scienceMost Myanmar 5-year-olds scored average on gross motor testing. Rural children scored higher than urban children on running, jumping and hopping; boys scored higher than girls on throwing and kicking. Treat these patterns as local baselines, not proof of delay.
• PTOTPilot2017The effects of task-oriented training on hand dexterity and strength in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy: a preliminary study.Journal of physical therapy scienceThe six children who received conventional occupational therapy plus 20 minutes of task-oriented training showed a within-group hand dexterity improvement, but no between-group difference was found and grip strength did not improve.
• PTCohort2017The Course of Concussion Recovery in Children 6-12 Years of Age: Experience From an Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Clinic.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationMost children aged 6-12 referred to a concussion rehabilitation clinic were discharged within 60 days, and half by 34 days. Younger age, more physical symptoms, and symptoms in more areas at first visit were linked to longer care.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2017Service Delivery in the Healthcare and Educational Systems for Children Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Gaps in Care.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationChildren with TBI often miss needed care: few receive inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation, and schools rarely identify them for TBI-related support. Children who receive systematic transition services are more likely to be identified for school support.
• PTOther2017The relationship between bruxism, sleep quality, and headaches in schoolchildren.Journal of physical therapy scienceChildren aged 3 to 6 who ground their teeth during sleep had headaches more often than children who did not (59.2% versus 31.4%). This link does not prove grinding causes headaches.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Easy assessment tool for motor imagery ability in elementary scool students.Journal of physical therapy scienceA paper-based hand rotation task tracked motor imagery ability in children without computers. Older students judged faster, and errors rose with rotation angle. However, reliability was not tested, so use it as a quick screen rather than a definitive measure.
• PTCase Report2017Effects of 4 weeks of dynamic neuromuscular stabilization training on balance and gait performance in an adolescent with spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn one 13-year-old with spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy, four weeks of dynamic neuromuscular stabilization training coincided with better balance test scores and faster walking. This single case shows what happened, not that the training caused improvement.
• PTOTSLPOther2017Auditing Access to Outpatient Rehabilitation Services for Children With Traumatic Brain Injury and Public Insurance in Washington State.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationChildren with public insurance faced longer waits and lower acceptance rates for outpatient rehabilitation in Washington State. Speech therapy showed the largest disparities, with median waits of 20 days for public insurance versus 5 days for private insurance.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2017Reduction of progressive thoracolumbar adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by chiropractic biophysics® (CBP®) mirror image® methods following failed traditional chiropractic treatment: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceA 15-year-old with worsening adolescent idiopathic scoliosis showed a 19-degree curve reduction after 24 sessions of combined chiropractic mirror-image exercises, traction, and manipulation. This single case cannot prove the treatment works, as multiple interventions were delivered simultaneously without a control group.
• PTOther2018Development of postural control and maturation of sensory systems in children of different ages a cross-sectional study.Brazilian journal of physical therapyFive-year-olds showed more sway than seven-, nine-, and 12-year-olds on difficult balance tests. Adjustment speed varied by age. Nine- and 12-year-olds were similar. Use this as a reference for typical development, not a treatment target.
• PTCohort2018Family History of Migraine Associated With Posttraumatic Migraine Symptoms Following Sport-Related Concussion.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationTeen athletes with a family history of migraine were more likely to have posttraumatic migraine symptoms within two weeks: 57% versus 33%. Family history alone did not predict worse thinking or dizziness screening results.