Disorders In Preschool Children Research Articles

Mental health disorder in preschool children: Do we have the best tools possible to detect it?

ObjectiveThe quality of the very early emotional experiences in a child's life are recognized today as foundational in the mental health of becoming an adult. Unsurprisingly, clinicians and health authorities agree on the importance of early detection and treatment of any mental health issues experienced by the preschool child. This is even more important and challenging as young children do not yet have the language skills necessary to express their distress. But do the caregivers in charge of these populations have the best tools at their disposal to carry out that important mission in an efficient and scientifically robust manner reflecting the latest research findings and scientific literature? This is the question we try to answer in this paper. MethodWe revisited the theoretical underpinnings behind the concept of mentalization as playing a key role in the ability to understand the other's inner reality. We then carried out an extensive review of scientific papers written over the past 30 years on the subject. We examined mental representations of the adult on the child and analyzed those mentalizations as key inputs. We focused on extracting cross analyses of the mentalizations of one child by several adults with different functions in the life of the child. In this process, we used the PRISMA methodology applied to large international medical databases. ResultsWe found that the qualitative approach, usually associated with a lengthy process, has been overwhelmingly used in trying to assess patients’ mental states and to analyze the mentalizations on the patient, adult or child. Furthermore, cross analyses of mentalizations from more than one adult on a given child were almost nonexistent, despite having high epistemic and clinical potential. ConclusionsThere is a dearth of reliable quantitative tools, able to capture and analyze the mentalizations on a patient, that are scientifically robust, transposable, and easy to implement in a clinical setting. The absence of such tools for medical professionals in charge of assessing preschool children contributes, in our view, the low detection and poor treatment of mental disorders in that particularly vulnerable population. We believe there is here an urgent unmet need and that such tools should be designed, validated, and deployed into the target populations as early as possible.

A cross-sectional survey and analysis of influencing factors on the occurrence of post-burn psychological stress disorder in preschool children

Objective: To explore the occurrence and influencing factors of post-burn psychological stress disorder in preschool children. Methods: This study was a multi-center cross-sectional survey. From January 2022 to February 2023, 85 preschool children (aged 1 to 6 years) with burns admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong Central Hospital, Suining Central Hospital, Guang'an People's Hospital, and Guangyuan Central Hospital who met the inclusion criteria were selected as respondents. A self-made general information questionnaire was used to investigate the children's general data including gender, age group, residential area, main caregiver and their education level, and family type, as well as the injury condition including cause of injury and burn severity. The Child Stress Disorders Checklist was used to investigate the occurrence of psychological stress disorder in children at 3 days to 1 month after injury, and the incidence rate was calculated. The children were classified according to their general data and injury condition, and the occurrence of psychological stress disorder in children at 3 days to 1 month after injury was recorded, and the influencing factors for post-burn psychological stress disorder in preschool children were screened. Results: A total of 85 questionnaires were distributed and 85 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 100%. Among the children, there were 45 boys and 40 girls, with most children aged 1 to 3 years. There were slightly more children in rural areas than in cities. About half of the children were mainly cared for by their parents and grandparents, respectively, and the education level of the main caregivers was mainly high school/technical secondary school. The family type was mainly core family and extended family. The main cause of injury was hydrothermal scald, and the severity of burns was mainly moderate. The incidence rate of psychological stress disorder in this group of children at 3 days to 1 month after injury was 34.12% (29/85). There were statistically significant differences in the occurrence of psychological stress disorder in children with different age groups, causes of injuries, and burn severity at 3 days to 1 month after injury (with χ2 values​​of 9.18, 7.80, and 25.47, respectively, P<0.05); there were no statistically significant differences in the occurrence of psychological stress disorder in children with different genders, residential area, main caregivers, main caregivers' education levels, or family types at 3 days to 1 month after injury (P>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age group and burn severity were independent influencing factors for the occurrence of psychological stress disorder in preschool children after burns (with odds ratios of 8.21 and 33.99, respectively, and 95% confidence intervals of 1.57-43.04 and 5.55-207.93, respectively, P<0.05), the older the child and the more severe the burn, the higher the possibility of the occurrence of psychological stress disorder. Conclusions: The incidence rate of psychological stress disorder is high in preschool children after burns. Age group and burn severity are independent influencing factors for the occurrence of post-burn psychological stress disorder in this type of children.

Exploring the Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on CoMorbid Sleep Disorders in Preschool Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Exploring the Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on CoMorbid Sleep Disorders in Preschool Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

TYPES OF MUSIC ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOL EDUCATION AND THEIR ROLE IN CORRECTIVE WORK WITH CHILDREN WITH SEVERE SPEECH DEFECTS

The article discusses the problems devoted to the importance of musical activity in kindergarten as a means of corrective work with children with severe speech impairments. The author identifies the main types of musical activity and explores their influence on the process of correction of speech disorders in preschool children.

The mediation effect of vitamin A and vitamin D supplement in the association between serum vitamin K levels and musculoskeletal disorders in preschool children.

Vitamin K deficiency may elevate the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), whereas it lacks validation for pediatric populations and has uncertain dose recommendations. In this context, we hypothesized that serum vitamin K levels are associated with MSD in preschool children, and the widely used vitamin A and vitamin D supplements may mediate these associations based on potential mechanisms, which expects to provide guidance for future practice. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Sichuan province in southwestern China, from January 2021 to May 2022. Serum levels of vitamin K1/K2 and 25(OH)D were determined using the high-performance liquid chromatography method, and the diagnosis of MSD was executed by clinicians. Overall and stratified logistic regression analysis based on categorized 25(OH)D levels were conducted to assess association between serum vitamin K levels and MSD prevalence after adjusting for confounders. Mediation analysis was further performed and vitamin A and D supplementation was regressed as the mediator. A total of 6,368 children aged 0-6 years old were enrolled. MSD was identified in 1179 (18.51%) of the children, while 5,189 (81.49%) of them did not present such disorder. After adjusting confounders, a significant difference was found in serum vitamin K1 level between children in MSD and Non-MSD group (OR = 0.802, 95%CI 0.745-0.864). No significant difference was found in serum vitamin K2 level between the two groups (OR = 0.975, 95%CI 0.753-1.261). The association between vitamin K1 level and MSD prevalence was partly (36.8%) mediated by vitamin A and D supplementation. A low serum vitamin K1 level is connected with an increased risk of MSD among children, highlighting that vitamin A and D supplementation is a helpful intervention to prevent MSD in children with vitamin K deficiency.

Speech Development of Children with ASD: A Neuropsychological Approach

Effective identification, support, and development of children’s abilities is a priority task of the education system in Russia. This demands deeper research based on the use of modern diagnostic technologies and neuropsychological tools, especially in what concerns children with impaired development, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Neuropsychological rehabilitation of children with ASD remains a poorly understood yet critical problem. Here, we explore common neuropsychological tools employed in Russia for diagnostics and therapy of ASD in childhood. The prospects of these methods to study the speech characteristics of such children were substantiated. The study is based on a survey of 20 parents of 20 children aged 4–6 years who attend the “WE ARE TOGETHER” Special Kindergarten for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders at Kazan Federal University (Russia). The speech characteristics of the children, starting from an early age, were thoroughly investigated during the experiment with the help of neuropsychological tools. The latter included game tasks to test social, cognitive, motor, neurodynamic, and regulatory skills, as well as the analysis of the transcripts of the interviews with both children and their parents. The results obtained facilitate the introduction of the neuropsychological approach to diagnose speech disorders in preschool children with ASD, and it can be further improved by experts in the rehabilitation and education of children exhibiting ASD symptoms.

Effect of neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization on incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in preschool children

Effect of neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization on incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in preschool children

Relationship types of parenting styles in providing smartphone with the risk of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in preschool children

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, particularly in children under seven years old. Addiction to electronic media, such as smartphones, is one of the causes. The way parents provide smartphones to their children can have an effect on the impact of smartphone use. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of parenting styles and the risk of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in preschool children. This study employs an observational analytic methodology with a cross-sectional approach. The data was analyzed using univariate and bivariate methods, as well as the chi-square test. Conforming to the results, democratic parenting was the most common kind of parenting in children who did not have ADHD, with 38 respondents (92.7%), and authoritarian parenting was the least common, with 17 respondents (89.5%). Meanwhile, for children at risk of ADHD democratic parenting is the most common parenting style, with 3 respondents (7.3%), while authoritarian parenting is the least common, with 2 respondents (10.5%). The chi-square correlation test revealed no connection between the styles of parenting in providing smartphones and the risk of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in preschool children (p-value 0.676 &gt; 0.05). The appropriate parenting style in handing smartphones to children from both parents and the closest people is very significant because it is related to the bad influence that children gain from using smartphones.

Direcții de prevenire a tulburărilor de limbaj la copiii preșcolari

This research paper aims to address the vital topic of preventing language disorders in preschool children. The primary focus is to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention program designed to enhance language and perceptual-auditory skills in this age group. Language disorders are a common concern among preschoolers, with various risk factors, including genetic predispositions, limited exposure to language-rich environments, and underlying medical conditions. Of utmost importance is early diagnosis and intervention, as these play a crucial role in facilitating a child’s language development.

ПРИМЕНЕНИЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ «БИОЭНЕРГОПЛАСТИКА» В КОРРЕКЦИИ РЕЧЕВЫХ НАРУШЕНИЙ ДЛЯ ДЕТЕЙ С ТЯЖЕЛЫМИ НАРУШЕНИЯМИ РЕЧИ «ДРУЖАТ ВМЕСТЕ РУКА И ЯЗЫК»

The article discusses a non-standard method of performing articulatory gymnastics — bioenergoplasty. The term “bioenergoplasty”, the principle of operation, stages, advantages and effectiveness of overcoming sound pronunciation disorders in preschool children with severe speech impairments are revealed. Also offered are original articulation poems and a fairy tale, which will help maintain interest in the classes. This article will be useful to speech therapists, educators and parents.

The gut-brain axis — clinical study results

The aim of the study was to investigate the intestinal microbiome in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The study was observational, cohort, comparative. All the patients included in it were divided into 2 groups. The first (comparison group main) group (n=43) consisted of children preschool aged of 1 and 2 health groups; the second (n=38, main group) children with an established diagnosis of ASD. It was stated that children with ASD are characterized by the most frequent (p=0.001) detection of intestinal dysbiosis; the detection of significant disorders in the form of intestinal dysbiosis of 3-4 degrees (p=0.001); a significant decrease in the total bacterial mass of the intestinal microbiota (γ=0.29, p=0.006); a decrease in the representation of the main representatives of the philometabolic nucleus of the microbiota: Lactobacillus (p&lt;0.05); Bifidobacterium (p&lt;0.05); Bacteroides (p&lt;0.05) and a number of individual producers of polyunsaturated fatty acids (0.001&lt;p≤0.050). A negative relationship was found between the integral indicator of autism severity and the representation of typical E.coli (R=0.57; F=4.17; p&lt;0.045). In that way Autism spectrum disorders in preschool children are associated with changes in intestinal biocenosis. The structure of microbiome differed significantly from that typical for healthy children. There is a relationship between the severity of dysbiotic disorders and the severity of cognitive disorders in absent-minded.

Prevalence and influencing factors of sleep disorders among preschool children in Urumqi city: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundSleep disorders refer to physiological and psychological states that cause adverse consequences due to the inability to fall asleep or poor sleep quality. The prevalence of sleep disorders varies greatly in different countries and regions due to different causes. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of sleep disorders among preschool children in Urumqi city, China.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with stratified random cluster sampling. Children aged 3–6 years old in one kindergarten randomly selected from each of the 8 districts of Urumqi from March to July 2022, and their parents were surveyed with a sleep quality questionnaire.ResultsThe prevalence of sleep disorders among preschool children in Urumqi was 14.29% (191/1336), and the prevalence of different symptoms was 42.81% for limb movements, 19.61% for snoring, 18.11% for bruxism, 16.39% for sleep talking, 12.57% for sweating, 11.60% for nocturnal awakening, 8.46% for nightmares, 6.89% for bed wetting, 3.74% for apnea, and 3.29% for sleepwalking. The prevalence of body movements, snoring, sweating, night-wake, nightmares, bed-wetting, apnea, and sleepwalking among different ethnicities were significantly different (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that the major risk factors of sleep disorders were difficulty adapting to new environments, unwillingness to express emotions, inconsistent attitudes of the family toward children’s education, running before bedtime, strict family education methods, etc.ConclusionThe prevalence of sleep disorders in preschool children in Urumqi is lower than the average level reported in other studies. Many factors affect the prevalence of sleep disorders in preschool children, but it is necessary to focus on the ability to adapt to new environments, psychological problems, and the impact of family education on sleep disorders. Further studies on the prevention and treatment of sleep disorders are needed for different ethnicities.

The Relationship between Mother Pregnancy at a Young Age and the Emotional Development of Children Aged 3-5 Years

The prevalence of emotional and behavioral disorders in preschool children is relatively high. One factor influencing children's emotional development is the mother's age during pregnancy. This study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal pregnancy at a young age and the emotional development of children aged 3-5 years. This study used a cross-sectional survey approach. The research subjects were all pregnant women and comprised 64 respondents, taken by simple random sampling. The independent variable is the emotional development of children aged 3-5 years as measured using the SDQ questionnaire. The dependent variable, namely the mother's age, was measured using a questionnaire. Data collection included coding, editing, data entry, and tabulation, then analyzed using a computer with chi-square. Of the 64 respondents studied, 54 respondents (84.4%) were pregnant women aged &lt;20 years and experienced abnormal child emotional development, and 52 respondents (81.3%). The correlation test results between the mother's age during pregnancy and the child's emotional development obtained a coefficient of 0.565 with a significance value of 0.001. It can be concluded that a relationship exists between maternal pregnancy at a young age and the emotional development of children aged 3-5 years. Suggestions for adolescents, families, and health workers not to get married before the age of 20 so that there are no disturbances in the emotional development of children aged 3-5 years.

Нейропсихологический подход в коррекции речевой слуховой агнозии у детей дошкольного возраста

The study aims to substantiate the relevance of using a neuropsychological approach in the formation of auditory gnosis in preschool children with speech disorders in modern speech therapy practice. The paper summarises the results of Russian research in the field of neuroscience on the structure and functioning of brain systems that ensure the perception and implementation of speech activities; determines the goals, objectives, stages of a pedagogical experimental work to overcome speech auditory agnosia in preschool age. The authors analysed the ontogenesis and symptoms of auditory gnosis disorders in children, justified the need to overcome these disorders in preschool age in game activities. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that the relationship between auditory disorders and the main modern causes of systemic speech disorders in preschool children has been determined, the use of a neuropsychological approach in auditory gnosis formation has been tested, which is reflected in the authors’ complex of special speech therapy games. The multifunctionality of the games of this complex is realised in the normalisation of auditory gnosis simultaneously with finger and articulatory praxis, which increases the effectiveness of corrective action. The results of the experimental work convincingly prove the effectiveness of a neuropsychological approach in the correction of speech auditory agnosia in preschool children.

Impact of sleep disorders on behavioral issues in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder.

Sleep disorders are one of the most common problems in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, they often tend to be underdiagnosed and incorrectly treated in clinical practice. This study aims to identify sleep disorders in preschool children with ASD and to explore their relationship with the core symptoms of autism, the child's developmental and cognitive level as well as the psychiatric comorbidities. We recruited 163 preschool children with a diagnosis of ASD. The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) assessed sleep conditions. Multiple standardized tests were used to evaluate intellectual abilities, the presence of repetitive behaviors (through the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised), as well as the emotional-behavioral problems and the psychiatric comorbidities (through the Child Behavior Checklist -CBCL 11/2-5). The results showed that poor disorders had consistently higher scores in all areas assessed by the CSHQ and on the CBCL across all domains. The correlational analysis showed that severe sleep disorders were associated with higher scores in internalizing, externalizing, and total problems at the CBCL syndromic scales, and in all DSM-oriented CBCL subscales. Moreover, we found that the association between sleep disorders and restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) is explained by the anxiety-related symptoms. Based on these findings, the study recommends that screening for sleep problems followed by early intervention should constitute a routine part of clinical practice for children with ASD.

Speech and Language Abilities of Preschool Children Who Stutter

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine speech and language differences between children who stutter without concomitant linguistic difficulties (CWS) and children who stutter with concomitant linguistic difficulties (CWS/CLD) on standardized tests of phonology, vocabulary and grammar. Method: Subjects were 20 children who stutter without concomitant linguistic difficulties (mean age= 5;1 years) and 21 children who stutter with concomitant linguistic difficulties (mean age= 4;9 years). All children were Greek-speaking. Each child participated initially in a 15-minute conversation with an adult. This conversational interaction was subsequently assessed to provide information pertinent to the child’s frequency and type of the speech dysfluency. Then, each child was administered standardized tests of phonology, vocabulary and grammar. Results: Results indicated that CWS and CWS/CLD did not differ in frequency and type of speech dysfluency. CWS did not show problems in developing phonology, vocabulary and grammar, while CWS/CLD lagged behind in phonology development although their vocabulary and grammar abilities were developing normally. Conclusion: Findings suggest that stuttering may appear in children with different speech and language profiles and for a subgroup of children, may be accompanied by a phonological disorder. Clinicians should take into account different aspects of speech and language when assessing and treating children who stutter and should have in mind the likelihood of comorbidity of stuttering with other developmental disorders in preschool children.

The effect of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder in preschool children

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the symptoms of ODD in preschool children. In this quasi-experimental study, using a randomized pretest, posttest, follow-up (RPPF) design with a control group, 24 children in the age range of 5-7 years were selected based on the cut off point of CSI-4 and were randomly assigned into two equal groups of experimental and control (n = 12 each). The experimental group underwent CCPT intervention for 12 weeks, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using the repeated measures ANOVA. The results showed a significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the symptoms of ODD (P < 0.05), so that CCPT intervention could reduce the symptoms of ODD in preschool children. Comparison of the scores of the evaluation stages showed that the symptoms were continuously decreasing in the experimental group in the 6-month follow-up. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that CCPT is an effective method to reduce the symptoms of ODD in preschool children. Therefore, it is recommended that this method be used for preschool children with ODD in educational institutions and psychological clinics.

Developmental language disorders in preschool children after high exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances from contaminated drinking water in Ronneby, Sweden.

A register-based cohort of all children born 1998-2013 in Blekinge county, Sweden, was studied. Maternal residential history, that is, with or without highly PFAS-contaminated drinking water, during the 5-year period before childbirth was used as a proxy for early-life exposure. Exposure was categorized as high (n = 646), intermediate (n = 1,650), or background (n = 9,599). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for (1) referral to a speech- and language pathologist after routine screening at Child Health Services, and (2) subsequent language disorder diagnosis after clinical assessment. Models were adjusted for parity, maternal age, education level, and smoking, and explored effect modification by sex. In children from the high-exposed area, the adjusted HR for referral was 1.23 (95% CI = 1.03, 1.47) and 1.13 (95% CI = 0.97, 1.56) for subsequent diagnosis. There was no increased risk in the intermediate exposure category. Children, particularly girls, with high exposure had an increased risk of both referral and confirmed developmental language disorder. Further research is needed on PFAS in the context of general neurodevelopment, for which language development is a proxy.

FEATURES OF NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHO-SPEECH DISORDERS IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

The article examines various forms, clinical and neurological characteristics, as well as psycho-speech disorders linked to motor disorders in preschool children in order to evaluate the risk factors of the development of cerebral palsy.

Efficacy and tolerability of psychostimulants for symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in preschool children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

There was no previous meta-analysis investigating the efficacy/tolerability of psychostimulants for symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschool children. Databases including PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to March 2022 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on therapeutic efficacy of psychostimulants against ADHD symptoms in preschool children (age ≤6 years) compared with placebos. Primary outcomes were (a) changes in ADHD symptoms evaluated by validated rating scales from parents'/teacher's observation, or (b) post-intervention improvements in neuropsychological performance. Secondary outcomes were risks of adverse events. Meta-analysis of nine eligible trials including 544 preschool children (mean age=4.86 years, female=11.98%, median treatment duration=4.33 weeks) supported the efficacy of psychostimulants against global symptoms from observations of parents (Hedges' g=0.6152, p<0.0001) and teachers (Hedges' g=0.6563, p=0.0039). Efficacy of psychostimulants was also noted against symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, especially the latter (i.e., main symptoms in preschool children). Moreover, male gender, older age, and longer treatment duration were associated with better efficacy. Regarding adverse events, only the risk of poor appetite was higher in the psychostimulant group (odds ratio [OR]=2.39). However, the qualities of evidence were low to very low, indicating potential discrepancy between the true and estimated effect. Our results showed that psychostimulants might be beneficial for preschool children with ADHD, especially hyperactivity/impulsivity from teachers' observation, with tolerable side effects. Nevertheless, the true magnitude of the effect needs to be confirmed with more research due to low to very low certainty of the evidence.