Screening Of Children Research Articles

Early detection of autism spectrum disorder via deep-learning application of fMRI and machine learning for ASD children identifications

This study unveils an advanced convolutional-neural-network (CNN) algorithm that was meticulously engineered to examine resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for early ASD detection in pediatric cohorts. The CNN architecture amalgamates convolutional, pooling, batch-normalization, dropout, and fully connected layers, optimized for high-dimensional data interpretation. Rigorous preprocessing yielded 22,176 two-dimensional echo planar samples from 126 subjects (56 ASD, 70 controls) who were sourced from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE I) repository. The model, trained on 17,740 samples across 50 epochs, demonstrated unparalleled diagnostic metrics – accuracy of 99.39%, recall of 98.80%, precision of 99.85%, and an F1 score of 99.32% – and thereby eclipsed extant computational methodologies. Feature map analyses substantiated the model’s hierarchical feature extraction capabilities. This research elucidates a deep learning framework for computer-assisted ASD screening via fMRI, with transformative implications for early diagnosis and intervention. And, this study addresses the critical need for early detection and intervention in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using machine learning. Specific therapies are needed for ASD, a neurodevelopmental disease that affects social interaction and communication. To find trends in ASD, our research uses a variety of early childhood screening tests as training sets for machine learning algorithms. The methodology that has been suggested utilizes methods of machine learning to compute the ASD spectrum, considering its many expressions. By using multidisciplinary methods and sophisticated screening instruments, we want to create an accurate system for early ASD detection. Algorithmic transparency, data protection, and ethical considerations are essential. This study seeks to build precise instruments for early ASD detection by promoting collaboration between specialists in neurodevelopment, psychology, and machine learning. A robust instrument that enhances the knowledge of medical practitioners is machine learning. Results show how innovation may transform early interventions and help people on the autistic spectrum achieve enhanced results.

Adaptation and Development of Parent Rating Scale for Giftedness

This study aimed to develop a parent rating scale (PRSG) for screening children for further identification process in terms of giftedness. The participants of the study were 255 parents of gifted and non-gifted students. The PRSG, consisting of 30 items, was created by consulting parents and reviewing instruments existent in the literature. As part of the validity testing, the content, construct, and criterion-related validities were examined. Expert opinion was sought for content validity. Construct validity was achieved as the findings of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-factor model in the 27-item instrument. The parents rated their own children after the researchers showed them how to rate their children. One hundred and sixty parents had a gifted child. Finally, the scores given by the parents of gifted children and those of the non-gifted were compared, which yielded a statistically significant difference between the mean scores in favor of the scores given by the parents of the gifted. The Cronbach alpha value was found to be .95 for the whole instrument.

Child and mother characteristics associated with 6-month weight gain for infants and toddlers during 6 to 36 months.

The prevalence of childhood obesity in the U.S. has increased, likely due to decreased physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour and unhealthy diets. Little is known about the relationships between these factors and weight gain in those under the age of three. This study aimed to understand the longitudinal associations of weight gain over 6-month intervals with child and parent characteristics as children develop from 6 to 36 months. Mother and infant data were collected at 6-month intervals from 6 to 36 months. Weight (kg) was the primary outcome variable, and potential explanatory variables included child and parent characteristics, physical activity, motor development, diet and sleep. Structural equation modelling was used to assess associations between explanatory variables and 6-month weight gain. Weight increased ~1 kg per 6-month interval (p < 0.001) from 6 to 36 months. Childcare outside of the home at 12 months was associated with 0.272 kg (p = 0.002) greater weight gain at 18 months, while children's physical activity was associated with 0.228 kg (per 2 SD, p = 0.051) less weight gain during the same time period. Mother's TV and screen media use (0.102 kg per hour/day, p = 0.046) and child's intake of high-energy beverages at 18 months (0.387 kg, p = 0.037) were both associated with greater weight gain at 24 months. Childcare, physical activity, screen media use and high-energy beverage consumption might affect weight gain at different time points in early childhood. These insights can inform efforts to prevent excessive weight gain and childhood obesity effectively.

The Role of Reverse Cascade Screening in Children with Familial Hypercholesterolemia: A Literature Review and Analysis.

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common genetic disorder characterized by lifelong elevation of severely elevated plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk accelerates after age 20. Early diagnosis allows for treatment of children with FH and creates an opportunity to identify affected relatives through reverse cascade screening (RCS). Historically, cascade screening has had little impact on identifying individuals with FH. Universal cholesterol screening (UCS) to identify youth with FH, beginning at 9-11 years-of-age, is currently recommended in the U.S. The European Atherosclerosis Society has called for UCS worldwide, emphasizing the need for educational programs to increase awareness amongst healthcare professions. Underdiagnoses and undertreatment of FH remain high. Improved rates of UCS and a systematic approach to RCS are needed. The absence of a coordinated RCS program limits the benefits of UCS. Further research is needed to identify barriers to cholesterol screening in youth.

Parental executive functions and motivations unveil variations in young children's screen media use

BackgroundThe increased screen media use among children aged 3 to 5, particularly in the post-COVID era, is concerning. Despite several organizations' recommendation of a one-hour screen limit for young children, actual usage often exceeds this guideline. Objective: This study explored the influence of parental characteristics such as self-efficacy, motivation, socioeconomic status, and cognitive abilities on children's screen time habits.MethodsEmploying a feature selection model, 251 caregivers answered an online survey, presenting data from themselves and on-screen usage for 126 girls and 125 boys. We found that the caregiver’s executive functions, including cognitive flexibility, initiation, task monitoring, and material organization, significantly impact children’s screen time. Results: Our analysis highlighted the vital role of caregivers’ self-efficacy in moderating children's screen usage. Family net income, children's age and gender, and motivations related to children's desires and behavioral control were also significant contributors to usage patterns.ConclusionThis study offers insights into interventions and effective parenting strategies in the digital age, highlighting the importance of addressing socio-demographic factors in understanding this complex issue.

Predictors of children's headaches during the second COVID-19 pandemic wave in the country with long-lasting lockdown.

The current study examined the links and interactions among headaches, screen-based media use, physical activity, sleep, and the family environment in Lithuanian school-aged children during the second COVID-19 lockdown. The study comprised data of 541 children aged 7-14 years from different Lithuania regions, and without chronic health conditions or developmental disorders. Information about the child was provided by their parents or caregivers who filled questionnaire on child's screen time, sleep duration and quality, physical activity, parental distress, parent-child relationship, history of child's headaches and infectious diseases. During the study period, 54% of the children had headaches, and the frequency was positively associated with child's age, screen time and parental distress, as well as negatively related to physical activity (PA), sleep quality, and the parent-child relationship. Parental education was related to child's PA, screen time and sleep quality. The results of binary logistic regression analysis and path analysis revealed that sleep quality and parental distress were significant predictors of headaches in children. Family and child or adolescent education and lifestyle modification aiming to improve sleep hygiene and PA, and to reduce screen-based sedentary behaviour should be provided. Family centred approach for more effective coping with distress and improvement of parent-child relationship is also important in treating child and adolescent headache.

Thalassemia Genotypes and HbA2 levels of Children in Wuzhou, Guangxi

To analyze thalassemia genotypes and distribution of children in Wuzhou Guangxi, and evaluate the diagnostic value of HbA2 in children's thalassemia screening, so as to provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control strategies of thalassemia. Four hundred and fifty-eight children suspected with thalassemia in Wuzhou were enrolled from March 2017 to June 2022. The level of HbA2 was detected using Bio-Rad VARIANT II Hb analysis system. The deletion of α-thalassemia was measured with gap-PCR assay, and the point mutation of α- and β-thalassemia was tested with DNA reverse dot blot hybridization assay. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of HbA2 for children's thalassemia. A total of 304 thalassemia carriers were detected in 458 children, accounting for 66.38%. One hundred and seventy-five cases were defined to be α-thalassemia, with the main type of --SEA/αα (54.86%). Thirty-six cases were defined to be intermediate α-thalassemia, with the main type of -α3.7/--SEA (9.72%). In 108 cases with β-thalassemia, βCD41-42/βN was the main type, accounting for 49.07%, followed by βIVS-Ⅱ-654 /βN (14.81%). Seven cases were moderate/severe β-thalassemia (predominantly β-28/β-28 and βCD41-42/βCD17/). Twenty-one genotypes of α- and β-thalassemia were found in the children. There was significant difference of HbA2 level between the children with different types of thalassemia and healthy controls (all P < 0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivities of HbA2 for α-thalassemia, β-thalassemia and αβ-thalassemia were 74.3%, 82.4% and 85.7%, with the optimal cut-off values of 2.60%, 3.60% and 3.70%, respectively, the specificities were 64.3%, 96.1% and 96.8%, and the area under the curve were 0.690, 0.887 and 0.916, respectively. The thalassemia genotypes of children in Wuzhou are diverse. It is necessary to further strengthen the prevention and control measure of thalassemia to reduce birth defects and improve birth quality.

Current Practice: Rationale for Screening Children with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia for Brain Vascular Malformations.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is an autosomal dominant vascular dysplasia characterized by mucocutaneous telangiectasias, recurrent epistaxis, and organ vascular malformations including in the brain, which occur in about 10% of patients. These brain vascular malformations include high-flow AVMs and AVFs as well as low-flow capillary malformations. High-flow lesions can rupture, causing neurologic morbidity and mortality. International guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia recommend screening children for brain vascular malformations with contrast enhanced MR imaging at hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia diagnosis. Screening has not been uniformly adopted by some practitioners who contend that screening is not justified. Arguments against screening include application of short-term data from the adult A Randomized Trial of Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations (ARUBA) trial of unruptured sporadic brain AVMs to children with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia as well as concerns about administration of sedation or IV contrast and causing patients or families increased anxiety. In this article, a multidisciplinary group of experts on hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia reviewed data that support screening guidelines and counter arguments against screening. Children with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia have a preponderance of high-flow lesions including AVFs, which have the highest rupture risk. The rupture risk among children is estimated at about 0.7% per lesion per year and is additive across lesions and during a lifetime. ARUBA, an adult clinical trial of expectant medical management versus treatment of unruptured brain AVMs, favored medical management at 5 years but is not applicable to pediatric patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia given the life expectancy of a child. Additionally, interventional, radiosurgical, and surgical techniques have improved with time. Experienced neurovascular experts can prospectively determine the best treatment for each child on the basis of local resources. The "watch and wait" approach to imaging means that children with brain vascular malformations will not be identified until a potentially life-threatening and deficit-producing intracerebral hemorrhage occurs. This expert group does not deem this to be an acceptable trade-off.

Algorithmic Content Recommendations on a Video-Sharing Platform Used by Children

Free video-sharing platforms (VSPs) make up a high proportion of children's daily screen use. Many VSPs make algorithmic recommendations, appearing as thumbnail images from the video, which content creators use to advertise their video content. To explore how VSP thumbnails use attention-capture designs to encourage engagement with content and to test whether VSP algorithmic recommendations offer more problematic thumbnail features over time. In this cross-sectional study conducted in January 2022, researchers mimicked the search behavior of children on a popular VSP by randomly clicking on recommended videos in order to test whether thumbnail designs changed over 20 sequential video engagements. A digital, footprint-free data collection setting was created by using a new computer and wireless internet router. Data were collected from YouTube via an internet browser not logged into a user account. Data analysis occurred from April to December 2022. Manual searches using 12 top-searched terms popular with school-aged children were conducted. Researchers captured the video thumbnails recommended at the end of each video and randomly clicked subsequent videos for 20 sequential engagements. Thumbnail content codes were developed through iterative review of screenshots by a multidisciplinary research team and applied by trained coders (reliability, κ >.70). The prevalence of problematic thumbnail content and change in prevalence over 20 engagements was calculated using the Cochran-Armitage trend test. A total of 2880 video thumbnails were analyzed and 6 features were coded, including visual loudness; drama and intrigue; lavish excess and wish fulfillment; creepy, bizarre, and disturbing; violence, peril, and pranks; and gender stereotypes. A high proportion contained problematic features including the creepy, bizarre, and disturbing feature (1283 thumbnails [44.6%]), violence, peril, and pranks feature (1170 thumbnails [40.6%]), and gender stereotypes feature (525 thumbnails [18.2%]). Other features included attention-capture designs such as the visual loudness feature (2278 thumbnails [79.1%]), drama and intrigue feature (2636 thumbnails [91.5%]) and lavish excess and wish fulfillment feature (1286 thumbnails [44.7%]). Contrary to the hypotheses, problematic feature prevalence did not increase over time, but the gender stereotypes feature increased with more engagement in the recommendations feed (P for trend < .001). In this study of video recommendations for search terms popular with children, thumbnails contained problematic and attention-capturing designs including violent, stereotyped, and frightening themes. Research is needed to understand how children respond to thumbnail designs and whether such designs influence the quality of content children consume.

A Study on the Screening of Children at Risk for Developmental Disabilities Using Facial Landmarks Derived From a Mobile-Based Application

Objective Early detection and intervention of developmental disabilities (DDs) are critical to improving the long-term outcomes of afflicted children. In this study, our objective was to utilize facial landmark features from mobile application to distinguish between children with DDs and typically developing (TD) children.Methods The present study recruited 89 children, including 33 diagnosed with DD, and 56 TD children. The aim was to examine the effectiveness of a deep learning classification model using facial video collected from children through mobile-based application. The study participants underwent comprehensive developmental assessments, which included the child completion of the Korean Psychoeducational Profile-Revised and caregiver completing the Korean versions of Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Korean version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Social Responsiveness Scale, and Child Behavior Checklist. We extracted facial landmarks from recorded videos using mobile application and performed DDs classification using long short-term memory with stratified 5-fold cross-validation.Results The classification model shows an average accuracy of 0.88 (range: 0.78–1.00), an average precision of 0.91 (range: 0.75–1.00), and an average F1-score of 0.80 (range: 0.60–1.00). Upon interpreting prediction results using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), we verified that the most crucial variable was the nodding head angle variable, with a median SHAP score of 2.6. All the top 10 contributing variables exhibited significant differences in distribution between children with DD and TD (p&lt;0.05).Conclusion The results of this study provide evidence that facial landmarks, utilizing readily available mobile-based video data, can be used to detect DD at an early stage.

An investigation into childhood obesity and screen media use in a town in the countryside of São Paulo

Building upon the aforementioned context, this study seeks to elucidate the relationship between diminished physical activity and the prevalence of overweight/obesity attributed to the extensive utilization of screens and multimedia devices, with particular attention to the role of familial influences. The present investigation employed practical methodologies and field research techniques. A semi-structured questionnaire comprising ten inquiries was administered to children aged 10 to 16, irrespective of gender, who were officially enrolled in a private school located in the town of Serrana - SP. The study reveals significant aspects pertaining to individuals' engagement with screens, characterized by a notable prevalence of prolonged screen time. It underscores the crucial role of familial dynamics and socio-economic circumstances in shaping children's caregiving practices, which warrant attention in mitigating the development of detrimental habits that may compromise individuals' quality of life.

Evaluation of Secondary Dyslipidemia in Obese Children

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the frequency of dyslipidemia secondary to childhood obesity, a recently emerging clinical entity, and to compare serum lipid profiles in obese and non-obese children. Material and Methods: After screening children with an obese appearance, a group of 119 obese children aged between 2 to 16 years with a body mass index above the 95th percentile and a control group of 124 children in a similar age range were compared in terms of serum lipid profile. Results: An abnormal lipid profile was determined in 62.6% of obese children, and serum levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in this group. It was found that Childhood obesity was associated with higher levels of total cholesterol (44.5%), triglycerides (48.7%), LDL (38.7%), and lower levels of HDL (23.5%). Conclusion: Obese children have a higher risk of secondary dyslipidemia and associated comorbidities. In order to prevent childhood obesity and its dangerous consequences, effective measures must be implemented in terms of screening, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Exploring the psychometric properties of the premonitory urge for tics scale (PUTS) and its association with psychiatric symptoms in Chinese children with tic disorders

BackgroundThe Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale (PUTS) is a common self-report measure of premonitory urges for patients with tic disorders. This study aims to evaluate the Chinese version of the PUTS (PUTS-C) and to explore its association with psychiatric symptoms in Chinese children diagnosed with tic disorders.MethodsThe psychometric evaluation involved 204 outpatients with tic disorders, aged 7–16 years, who were divided into two age groups: (7–10 years, n = 103; 11–16 years, n = 95).ResultsThe PUTS-C demonstrated good internal consistency (McDonald’sω = 0.84) and two-week test-retest reliability (0.76). We observed a statistically significant correlation between the total PUTS-C score and various Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) subscales and total tic severity scores. The PUTS-C score also showed significant correlations with the Children Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), Screening Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). Notably, premonitory urges independently predicted tic severity, beyond the influence of comorbid symptoms. A two-factor structure of the PUTS-C was identified in the total sample through factor analysis.ConclusionsThe PUTS-C possesses acceptable validity and good reliability. It appears that premonitory urges in Chinese patients with tic disorders are associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety, and depression, but can independently predict tic severity. Specific PUTS-C factors possibly related to motor and vocal tics. Future research should continue to investigate age-related differences and the association with tics and other sensory symptoms.

Co-construct, implement and evaluate a multi-level intervention to prevent a sedentary lifestyle in children-Study protocol of the CIPRES study.

A sedentary lifestyle is commonly associated with a higher risk of chronic disease development. Among school-aged children from European countries, screen-time represents a significant portion of sedentary time with 39.8% of children spending more than 2h/day in front of a screen on average. Therefore, effective solutions to reduce sedentary behavior (SB) must be found. Multilevel interventions based on the socio-ecological model (SEM) are particularly relevant to take into account influences of the social environment on individuals' SB. Moreover, the trans-contextual model (TCM) can offer complementary levers for individuals' behavior change. The CIPRES study is a theory-based multilevel intervention designed to decrease the SB in French primary school children aged 8-10 years. The present paper describes the protocol of a randomized controlled study to evaluate the effectiveness of the CIPRES multilevel intervention on SB. The CIPRES study is a cluster-randomized controlled trial comparing intervention vs control groups. A total of 700 children are targeted for inclusion, distributed in four municipalities considered as clusters. The study consists of two successive phases: 1) co-building of a SB prevention intervention by using a participatory approach involving representatives of each level of the SEM (e.g., children, parents, staff from municipalities, teachers) and 2) implementation and evaluation of the intervention. The intervention will last for 6 weeks in each involved class. Primary outcome will be the sedentary time of children per week, assessed by accelerometry. In addition, children and their parents will be asked to fill out questionnaires concerning children's physical activity level, screen time, quality-of-life and variables of the TCM. This study will give information on the effectiveness of a theory-based intervention, involving multiple levels of actors in the co-construction and the implementation of the intervention, that may interest schools and public health officers looking for innovative sedentary prevention programs.

Associations between screen exposure and children self-regulation: a systematic review and meta- analyses

Cognitive and emotional self-regulation are essential skills during the first years of life as they predict the later development of other cognitive skills, academic performance and the presence of psychopathology. As the exposure to technological devices has increased in recent years, both in adulthood and early childhood, it is important to meta-analyze studies on this topic to assess how their use is associated with early self-regulation. For this, a systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out with the research of the last 10 years (2011-2021) on the contribution of technological devices to the self-regulation of infants with typical development. There was a total of 13,408 children from 0 to 12 years of 20 different associations outcomes. Effect sizes were measured as correlations (r). The results showed that the more time in front of a screen (measured as range time in a typical day), the lower the scores on the self-regulation tests will be (screen time [n = 20; r = −0.18 (95% CI, −0.26 to −0.09], with higher levels of interstudy heterogeneity. There findings show that it is necessary to include research from another countries and analyze possible moderators.

Interhemispheric coherence of EEG rhythms in children: Maturation and differentiation in corpus callosum dysgenesis

ObjectivesTo evaluate the evolution of interhemispheric coherences (ICo) in background and spindle frequency bands during childhood and use it to identify individuals with corpus callosum dysgenesis (CCd). MethodsA monocentric cohort of children aged from 0.25 to 15 years old, consisting of 13 children with CCd and 164 without, was analyzed. The ICo of background activity (ICOBckgrdA), sleep spindles (ICOspindles), and their sum (sICO) were calculated. The impact of age, gender, and CC status on the ICo was evaluated, and the sICO was used to discriminate children with or without CCd. ResultsICOBckgrdA, ICOspindles and sICO increased significantly with age without any effect of gender (p < 10−4), in both groups. The regression equations of the different ICo were stronger, with adjusted R2 values of 0.54, 0.35, and 0.57, respectively. The ICo was lower in children with CCd compared to those without CCd (p < 10−4 for all comparisons). The area under the precision recall curves for predicting CCd using sICO was 0.992 with 98.9 % sensitivity and 87.5 % specificity. DiscussionICo of spindles and background activity evolve in parallel to brain maturation and depends on the integrity of the corpus callosum. sICO could be an effective diagnostic biomarker for screening children with interhemispheric dysfunction.

The cross-sectional association of parental psychosocial status with children's Body Mass Index z-score and the mediating role of children's energy balance behaviors - the ABCD Study.

Investigate the cross-sectional association between the psychosocial status of mothers and fathers and the BMI z-scores of their 10 to 12-year-old children. Explore whether this association is mediated by children's diet, physical activity, screen time and sleep. Analyze the moderating effect of the educational levels of both the mother and father on the association. In a cross-sectional study design, children's height and weight were measured following a standardized protocol. Parents completed the validated Depression Anxiety and Stress questionnaire, while diet quality, sports participation, time spent in bed and screen time were assessed through child-report using previously validated questions. The data for this study were obtained from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study, involving children aged 10 to 12 years and both of their parents (N = 1315). The majority, 80%, of the parents were highly educated and born in the Netherlands, and 68% of the children had a healthy BMI. Maternal or paternal psychosocial status was not significantly associated with children's BMI z-score (maternal β -0.0037; 95% CI: -0.008 to 0.0007, paternal β 0.0028; 95% CI: -0.007 to 0.002). Screen time mediated the association between paternal psychosocial status and children's BMI z-score (β = 0.010, 95% CI: 0.002; 0.020). Children's diet, physical activity, and sleep did not mediate the association between paternal psychosocial status and children's BMI z-score. Parental educational level was not a moderator. This research is unique in including four energy balance behaviors and including both mothers and fathers' psychosocial status. Children withfathers experiencing poorer psychosocial status engaged in more screen time which partly explained their higher BMI z-score.

Scoping review of hearing loss attributed to congenital syphilis.

There are no narrative or systematic reviews of hearing loss in patients with congenital syphilis. The aim of this study was to perform a scoping review to determine what is known about the incidence, characteristics, prognosis, and therapy of hearing loss in children or adults with presumed congenital syphilis. PROSPERO, OVID Medline, OVID EMBASE, Cochrane Library (CDSR and Central), Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global, and SCOPUS were searched from inception to March 31, 2023. Articles were included if patients with hearing loss were screened for CS, ii) patients with CS were screened for hearing loss, iii) they were case reports or case series that describe the characteristics of hearing loss, or iv) an intervention for hearing loss attributed to CS was studied. Thirty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. Five studies reported an incidence of CS in 0.3% to 8% of children with hearing loss, but all had a high risk of bias. Seven reported that 0 to 19% of children with CS had hearing loss, but the only one with a control group showed comparable rates in cases and controls. There were 18 case reports/ case series (one of which also reported screening children with hearing loss for CS), reporting that the onset of hearing loss was usually first recognized during adolescence or adulthood. The 7 intervention studies were all uncontrolled and published in 1983 or earlier and reported variable results following treatment with penicillin, prednisone, and/or ACTH. The current literature is not informative with regard to the incidence, characteristics, prognosis, and therapy of hearing loss in children or adults with presumed congenital syphilis.

“Taking part in the project has really changed our experience as a family” investigating parents’ experience of participation in a study to screen for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

BackgroundScreening children for developmental disorders presents unique ethical and methodological challenges, particularly with disorders associated with high levels of shame and stigma. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. The potential distress caused by informing parents that their child may have FASD has been cited as a significant barrier to conducting such studies. However, limited research has investigated the impact of screening for FASD on parents and children. AimsThis exploratory study aimed to examine the experiences of a small sample of parents participating in an active case ascertainment prevalence study screening for FASD in Greater Manchester, UK (ADD-GM study). MethodsInterviews were conducted with six parents, whose children aged 8–10 years, underwent screening (including three cases of FASD). Thematic analysis was performed on the collected data to identify key themes and patterns. ResultsThe analysis revealed that parents perceived participation in the study as worthwhile, and their children either enjoyed or were indifferent to the process of data collection. Parents of children identified with FASD reported that although the results were surprising, they did not find the experience overly distressing. ConclusionThe findings suggest that parents generally view participation positively and perceive limited negative impact. These insights contribute to a better understanding of the challenges and benefits associated with screening children for FASD.

The digital citizenship of children with autism: Challenges, considerations and educational needs of paediatric practitioners

AbstractThis exploratory study examined paediatric practitioners' challenges and considerations when they support caregivers and children with autism regarding children's screen use. Current research often focuses on the problematic use of screen time among children with autism. No clear strategies or recommendations for clinicians to support the beneficial use of screens exist yet in the field. Participants in the study were 15 experienced paediatric practitioners invited to participate in semistructured interviews that were analysed using summative content analysis. Practitioners expressed the urgent need for accessible and valuable educational resources to guide digital citizenship and screen time use for their clients with autism. This exploratory study provides an initial roadmap for the educational needs of paediatric practitioners supporting positive screen use and digital citizenship of autistic children.