Individual Children Research Articles

Parental and child's psychosocial and financial burden living with an inherited metabolic disease identified by newborn screening.

Newborn screening (NBS) is one of the most effective measures of secondary prevention. While the benefit of NBS on the clinical long-term outcomes of children with inherited metabolic diseases (IMD) has been demonstrated, the potential burden of families living with an early diagnosed and treated child with an IMD has not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this longitudinal questionnaire-based study on 369 families living with a child with an IMD was to investigate the psychosocial and financial burden following a true-positive NBS. The reported psychosocial burden differed between children and their parents, and was associated with the child's age, diagnosis, and treatment. At younger ages, parent-reported burden was higher for the parents than for the individual child, while it increased for children and decreased for parents as the child grew older. Furthermore, psychosocial burden increased if the child required a strict dietary treatment and was at risk of metabolic decompensation. Regardless of diagnosis and treatment, the developmental delay of their child independently increased the parental psychosocial burden. Financial burden was reported by 24% of all families, and was higher in low-income families and in families whose children required dietary treatment. In conclusion, a substantial psychosocial and financial burden was revealed for children and their families after true-positive NBS. Since this burden is likely to have a negative impact on the long-term individual health benefits of NBS, this study underlines the importance of regularly assessing the psychosocial and financial needs of these families.

Young Children's Directed Question Asking in Preschool Classrooms.

Question asking is a prevalent aspect of children's speech, providing a means by which young learners can rapidly gain information about the world. Previous research has demonstrated that children exhibit sensitivity to the knowledge state of potential informants in laboratory settings. However, it remains unclear whether and how young children are inclined to direct questions that support learning deeper content to more knowledgeable informants in naturalistic classroom contexts. In this study, we examined children's question-asking targets (adults, other preschoolers, self-talk) during an open-play period in a US preschool classroom and assessed how the cognitive and linguistic characteristics of questions varied as a function of the intended recipient. Further, we examined how these patterns changed with age. We recorded the spontaneous speech of individual children between the ages of 3 and 6 years (N = 30, totaling 2875 utterances) in 40-min open-period sessions in their preschool day, noting whether the speech was directed toward an adult, another child, or was stated to self. We publish this fully transcribed database with contextual and linguistic details coded as open access to all future researchers. We found that questions accounted for a greater proportion of preschoolers' adult-directed speech than of their child-directed and self-directed speech, with a particular increase in questions that supported broader learning goals when directed to an adult. Younger children directed a higher proportion of learning questions to adults than themselves, whereas older children asked similar proportions of questions to both, suggesting a difference in younger and older children's question-asking strategies. Although children used greater lexical diversity in questions than in other utterances, their question formulation in terms of length and diversity remained consistent across age and recipient types, reflecting their general linguistic abilities. Our findings reveal that children discriminately choose "what" and "whom" to ask in daily spontaneous conversations. Even in less-structured school contexts, preschoolers direct questions to the informant most likely to be able to provide an adequate answer.

Defining child health in the 21st century.

The concept of child health has evolved over many decades and has gone from defining health asthe absence of disease and disability to a much more sophisticated understanding of the ways in which a confluence of many factors leads to a healthy childhood and to producing the infrastructure for a healthy lifetime. We review the evolution of these ideas and endorse the definition featured in Children's Health, the Nation's Wealth, which states that child health is: "… the extent to which individual children or groups of children are able or enabled to: (a) develop and realize their potential, (b) satisfy their needs, and (c) develop the capacities that allow them to interact successfully with their biological, physical, and social environments." IMPACT: The definition of child health and the model presented form a framework for conducting and interpreting research in child health and understanding the ways in which influences affect child health. They also demonstrate how child health is the foundation for life-long health. Child health is dynamic and is always changing. There are many influences affecting child health at any given time. Because each child's health is different, they may react in distinctive ways to a new health challenge.

Children’s risk preferences vary across sexes, social contexts, and cultures

People exhibit more risk-prone behaviors when together with peers than when in private. The interplay of social context effects and other variables that alter human risk preferences (i.e., age, sex, or culture) remains poorly understood. Here, we explored risk preferences among Namibian Hai||om and Ovambo children (N = 144; AgeRange = 6–10 years). Participants chose between risky and safe options in private or during peer presence. In a third condition, children collaborated with peers before their risk preferences were assessed in those peers’ presence. Children from both societies were risk-averse, but Hai||om children showed greater risk aversion than their Ovambo counterparts. Across cultures and ages, boys were less averse to risks than girls. This effect was most pronounced during peer presence, whereas collaboration did not additionally affect risk preferences. These results suggest a dynamic interplay of individual, social, and cultural factors shaping children’s risk preferences.

The Practical Application of the Individual Care Plan for Pediatric Palliative Care: A Mixed-Method Study.

The Individual Care Plan (ICP) for pediatric palliative care was developed to provide person-centered care for the individual child and family. Currently, a lack of clarity remains regarding the use and function of the ICP in daily practice. To further implement the ICP, it is important to identify how parents and healthcare professionals use the ICP and which obstacles or benefits are experienced. This mixed-method study used qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires in (bereaved) parents and healthcare professionals with experience with the ICP. Parents and healthcare professionals used the ICP to establish a joint plan for care and treatment of the child to coordinate care and to achieve child- and family-centered care. This includes both obstacles that complicate achieving care goals and benefits that make it easier. Furthermore, responsibilities for the ICP remained unclear, and there was no set point in the illness trajectory for drawing up the ICP. Parents and healthcare professionals use the ICP as intended. However, uncertainties regarding timing, roles and responsibilities prevent optimal use of the ICP. Agreements on timing and responsibilities are needed for further ICP implementation in daily pediatric palliative care practice.

Co-production of the ‘EPIC’ multidimensional tool-kit to support neurodivergent children and young people at home and school: a feasibility and pilot study

BackgroundInterventions focused on cognitive function in neurodivergent children typically focus on single functions, e.g. working memory training. They are often focused on ‘deficit’ models and lack an emphasis on understanding areas of individual strengths and difficulties as a prerequisite to appropriate support. The multidimensional nature and phenotypic variability of cognitive profiles in these children indicate a need for a multicomponent-tailored intervention programme focused on understanding and supporting an individual child’s cognitive functioning.AimsThe ‘EPIC’ intervention (Edinburgh Psychoeducation Intervention for Children and Young People) is focused on improving cognition, learning and behaviour in neurodivergent children such as those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or who are autistic. Building on our previous co-production work, this study aimed to use a participatory methods approach to develop EPIC practices and materials in relation to our key principles which include psychoeducation, multicomponent, individualised approach, strengths and difficulties profiling and pairing of a child’s individual strengths and difficulties with internal and external strategies. We also set out to assess the feasibility and acceptability of EPIC, and pilot this novel tool-kit intervention with neurodivergent children and their parents and teachers.MethodsThe intervention practices, materials and strategies of EPIC were co-produced with neurodivergent children, their parents, teachers and clinicians taking a strengths and difficulties approach. Identification of psychoeducation activities and strategy practices (e.g. mind-maps, chunking), testing of feasibility and collection of pilot data were conducted over a bi-weekly 8-week programme. Eleven neurodivergent children aged 7 to 12 completed the 16-session individualised programme. Acceptability and feasibility were ascertained via qualitative reports elicited within child and teacher interviews and child ratings of enjoyment. Pilot evaluation data was collected pre- and post-intervention participation, and across cognitive assessments (CANTAB, BRIEF), educational attainment (WIAT) and parent and teacher questionnaires measuring clinical symptoms and behaviour (Conners, AQ, SDQ, self-perception). Data was compared with a matched neurodivergent treatment-as-usual control group (N = 9).ResultsThe co-produced EPIC intervention was both feasible to deliver and acceptable to children, parents and their teachers. Pilot data identified that the 8-week intervention improved cognition (short-term and working memory) and literacy (receptive vocabulary, oral word fluency, listening comprehension). Improvements in the intervention group were also found for parent-reported child behavioural difficulties and aggression, and teacher-reported scholastic competence. Effect sizes generated (Cohen’s d) ranged from 0.65 to 2.83. Parents reported continuing to use EPIC strategies when interviewed over a year after participating in the programme.ConclusionThe current study met our objectives fully. ‘EPIC’ (Edinburgh Psychoeducation Intervention for Children and Young People) is feasible in home and school contexts and improves a range of aspects of cognition, learning and behaviour in neurodivergent children. Our findings show EPIC is suitable to be assessed within a full-scale trial.

Data Embargoes as a Tool for Emplacement and Displacement of Children in Early Childhood Classrooms: A Comparative Case Study

Data embargoes constrain teachers’ understanding of children by withholding and/or coding particular information on children’s attainment and/or identities. Data embargoes may mask children’s identities in ways that influence their rights to belong in early childhood programs and may construct White positivist childhoods by maintaining the belief that individual children’s bodies can, whether in the present of future, be subject to objective measures of human learning or intelligence used for comparisons that uphold Eurocentric positivistic sciences and neoliberal accountability. By comparing children’s experiences in two racialized and socioeconomically denied policy contexts, we show how data embargoes are implicated in sustaining inequities.

Emotion socialization in early childhood education and care – How preschool teachers support children's emotion regulation

Children’s emotional experiences during early childhood education and care (ECEC) are important for children’s emotional development and the socialization of this development by teachers. One central goal of emotion socialization is that it should help children acquire reflective regulation of their emotions, resulting in socially acceptable and age-appropriate experience and behavior. The current study is based on emotionally challenging situations of children in ECEC and aims at investigating, first, associations of teachers’ emotion coaching and co-regulation with children’s self-regulation, and, second, how teachers’ emotion coaching and co-regulation are linked with characteristics of the specific emotion episode and the involved child. Based on extensive video observations in the preschool setting (N = 19 groups), this study analyzed episodes with teacher interventions (N = 48 teachers) following a negative emotion expression by one or two children (N = 213 children aged 2–6 years old). Multilevel results show, first, that teachers’ initial emotion coaching and co-regulation through meta-cognitive prompts were associated with children’s independent self-regulation. Second, teachers’ emotion coaching and co-regulation were systematically associated with characteristics of the emotion episode, especially emotion quality and intensity. The findings support the assumption that emotion coaching and co-regulation are especially valuable tools to support self-regulation. However, emotion coaching and the different co-regulation levels and strategies do not turn out to be universal strategies that are used indiscriminately, but teachers use them depending on individual child and situational characteristics.

Association between developmental patterns of single and concurrent externalizing behaviors and internalizing problems over the preschool years.

The present study investigated whether distinct developmental patterns of externalizing behaviors (EBs: hyperactivity-impulsivity, noncompliance, physical aggression) based on parent reports were repeatedly and differentially associated with separate dimensions of internalizing problems such as general anxiety, separation anxiety, and depressive symptoms across the early, middle, and late preschool years in a population birth cohort (N = 2,057, 50.7% boys). Six high trajectory classes obtained by latent growth modeling were used as longitudinal indicators of single EB and co-occurrent EBs. Children following low or moderate trajectories for all EBs served as the reference class. Results revealed that children in trajectory classes reflecting high levels of co-occurring EBs showed higher levels of general anxiety, separation anxiety, and depressive symptoms across the preschool years. In contrast, children in trajectory classes reflecting single EB manifested higher levels of some, but not all, dimensions of internalizing problems. In addition, their scores varied from one period to another. No sex differences were observed in the above associations. These results underline the need for comprehensive assessments across distinct types of EBs and internalizing problems to better reflect the characteristics that distinguish individual children. Finally, results suggest that children showing early co-occurrent EBs and internalizing symptoms may be an important group to target for in-depth assessment and possibly preventive intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Children's right to participation in Swedish child welfare – The extent, nature and determinants of child interviews during investigations

BackgroundChildren's right to participation in child welfare decision-making is highlighted in law and research. However, there is a lack of comprehensive empirical research on how such participation is actually fulfilled. ObjectiveThis article aims to describe and analyse the extent, nature and determinants of children's participation in child welfare investigations in Sweden as well as to discuss barriers to participation. Participants and settingThe dataset comprises a cohort of 2123 children investigated during 2022 across eight municipalities in Stockholm County, Sweden. MethodsThe study is based on cross-sectional data where the responsible child welfare workers served as informant in a survey focusing child and case factors concerning 2123 children subject to child welfare investigations. The data is analysed by using descriptive and binary logistic regression analyses. ResultsIn approximately 75 % of the child welfare investigations, child welfare workers held interviews with the child (with or without parental presence) while individual child interviews were carried out in about 50 % of the cases. Multiple interviews (≥3) occurred in 14 % of the cases. Reasons for not interviewing children included finding interviews to be unnecessary, perceiving the child as too young, and reluctance by the child as to participation. Investigations involving older children and referrals related to abuse increased the odds for participation. ConclusionsThe study suggests that more children are interviewed by child welfare authorities than found in previous studies, but that there still is a gap between the legislative intention to facilitate child participation and the actual state of child welfare practice.

Influence of age and race on axial elongation in myopic children: A systematic review and meta-regression.

Axial elongation is the basis of progression in primary myopia and the preferred metric to monitor its evolution. We conducted a meta-regression to model axial elongation and its associated factors in children with low to moderate myopia. A comprehensive electronic systematic search was performed using Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials of studies conducted up until October 2021. The mean rate of axial elongation was analyzed using a multivariate linear mixed-effects meta-regression model, with backward stepwise elimination of nonsignificant covariates. The model included three levels of random effects, allowing both prediction and confidence intervals to be estimated. A total of 64 studies with 83 subpopulations and 142 evaluations of mean axial change from baseline met our inclusion criteria and had no missing significant covariates in the final model. A separate analysis including all populations with axial length data (202 evaluations) but missing variance or covariate data produced a similar model to that for the analysis with complete data. The mean axial elongation is 38% greater in Asian children (95% confidence interval, 19 to 61%; p<0.01) compared with non-Asians, but both groups show a 15% decline per year as age increases (95% confidence interval, 12 to 17% p<0.0001). Prediction intervals indicate substantial variability around the axial elongation estimates. This analysis provides mean values of axial elongation for evaluation of efficacy of myopia control. The broad prediction intervals emphasize the large range of individual axial elongation rates in the population, illustrating the challenge in managing individual children. Interpretation of the analysis is limited by the use of aggregated data rather than individual subject data.

Validity and sustainability of a phonological assessment tool for Bulgarian preschool children: cross-sectional study

Phonology is a widely discussed topic that is studied in detail by linguists, psycholinguists, philologists, pedagogues, and last, but not least, by speech and language pathologists. The assessment methods do inform us about the phonological processes and phonological delays in details by comparing the results with those of a normative sample and offer an opportunity to gradate the severity of the disorder, which is individual and can vary significantly in individual children. The aim of the study is to present evidence of the validity and reliability of a phonological assessment tool developed to assess the phonological inventory of Bulgarian preschool children. For this purpose, an author’s test was developed and conducted among 382 Bulgarian children.Results The present study provided evidence of validity and reliability (internal consistency) for this phonological assessment tool, confirming the reliability of its three subtests.Conclusions The present findings provide strong evidence of the validity and reliability of this phonological assessment tool.

Parent and caregiver report questionnaires for children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review

Objectives Parent and caregiver questionnaires are important outcome measures in education, clinical and research practice with children with intellectual disabilities. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review aimed to provide an overview of freely available caregiver report questionnaires, identified from five databases (Cinahl, Embase, Eric, PsycINFO and PubMed). Questionnaires were categorised following inductive analyses, and subscales were conceptually mapped using constructs and definitions from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health-Children and Youth version (ICF-CY). Results 3406 records were identified leading to the inclusion of 34 caregiver report questionnaires on the impact of having, or caring for a child with, intellectual disabilities. Freely available questionnaires published in English after 2000 were eligible; screening tools, interviews and surveys were excluded. Questionnaire outcome goals were categorised to: ‘behaviour’, ‘impact of the child with intellectual disabilities on others/impact of others on the child with intellectual disabilities’, ‘cognitive and adaptive functioning’ and ‘quality of life’. From the questionnaires, 152 subscales were identified and conceptually mapped using constructs from the ICF-CY. Conclusions Most questionnaires focused on individual child behaviours, with gaps identified in consideration of environmental factors. Future studies should analyse the psychometric properties of available questionnaires to promote evidence-based practices.

TỔNG QUAN NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ MÚA RỐI TRONG GIÁO DỤC MẦM NON

This article offers an overview of research on puppetry within the context of early childhood education. The primary research method employed was document analysis. Findings from the recent studies indicate emphasized on the positive influence of puppetry on cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development in preschool-aged children. Moreover, the research underscored the significance of factors such as the roles of teachers and parents, learning environments, and individual child characteristics in the efficacy of puppetry implementation in preschool settings. Various research directions were proposed to enhance understanding of the specific impacts of puppetry on diverse facets of early childhood development, as well as to advocate for increased utilization of puppetry in early childhood education. Keywords: Preschool; early childhood education; puppetry; literature review.

Analysing the dropout patterns of individual children in Nepal: relationship between school dropout and grade repetition/entrance age

PurposeUsing longitudinal data of children in Nepal, this study examines the relationships between dropouts, grade repetition and the causes of dropout, such as entrance age, to derive concrete recommendations to improve the basic education completion rates in Nepal, one of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4).Design/methodology/approachThe data for this study were drawn from school records kept in the target schools, home visit surveys and interviews with principals and teachers. After comparing the repetition experience and the frequency of repetitions between graduates and dropouts, the study analysed the dropout patterns of individual children. The study then examined the effects of repetition and entrance age on children’s schooling.FindingsThe results identified a large group of children who dropped out of school without any repetition, with only 15.9% of the children repeating a grade immediately before dropping out. The findings indicated that harsh family environments, being overage and low educational expectations were factors in sudden dropout.Originality/valueCollecting longitudinal data is difficult in developing countries, and few studies use such data. The question of access to education has been re-ignited by the COVID-19 pandemic; this study used longitudinal data to thoroughly analyse children’s dropout patterns and provide specific recommendations that will contribute to the achievement of SDG4.

‘Help Shelter Mend a Broken Family’: Homes, Homelessness, and Crisis in 1960s Britain

Abstract In 1966, a new homelessness charity, Shelter, set out to redefine the homeless as impoverished families enduring poor or insecure housing rather than single men living on the street. Through a series of ‘hard-hitting’ reports and adverts, the group highlighted the destructiveness of poor housing on young families and gained a prominent national voice. This article examines Shelter’s campaigns in the 1960s to examine how debates about homes and homelessness can reframe the development of discourses of ‘crisis’ that defined the 1970s and provided a key narrative of Thatcherism. It focuses on how Shelter deployed ideas of childhood, family, and the family home, often echoing theories of leading child psychiatrists of the post-war period, to warn of the profound and acute danger that the housing crisis represented to British society. Shelter’s prominent and successful adverts and campaigns drew on growing anxieties about social and economic crisis, but did not discuss key issues of unemployment, racial discrimination, and deindustrialization. Instead, Shelter’s campaigns focused on the damage poor housing did to family life and the education and life chances of individual children. Discourses of crisis in this period are often associated with ‘inner cities’ and failing reconstruction schemes, but Shelter presented an image of social crisis that was centred in the family and the family home. By analysing how Shelter drew on fears about the coming social crisis, the article suggests that the family home and the life chances of individuals were central to popular understandings and perceptions of crisis before the 1970s.

The practice of zero tolerance: emergency placement by child welfare services in Norway

The article discusses the emergency placement of children by the Norwegian Child Welfare Services. Nine mothers were interviewed about their experiences of the transfer of care of their children. Several of the mothers had their children removed due to an emergency decision. The article focuses on one of these stories and analyses the way in which emergency placement can be seen as a form of communication and practice. The purpose of this article is to generate knowledge about how the concept of ‘zero tolerance’ is used to legitimise emergency placements and how this practice might cause more harm than benefits for individual children. The article’s analytical perspective is grounded in the systems theory of Niklas Luhmann.

Family Support in Supporting the Development of ABK at SLB Auticare Snec Batusangkar

Teachers at the Batusangkar Autiscare Special School (SLB) have high dedication in educating and guiding autistic children. They face various challenges and obstacles, but still apply various learning strategies and methods that are tailored to the individual needs of each child. The welfare and support of teachers is also an important concern to help them carry out their duties optimally. The dedication and hard work of these teachers has had a significant positive impact on the lives of autistic children. And the families of ABK children at Autiscare SLB have complementary roles in supporting children's learning and development. Teachers are responsible for designing and implementing learning that suits individual children's needs, collaborating with families, and providing a safe and supportive learning environment. Families, on the other hand, play an important role in providing love and support to children, participating in children's education, and being advocates for children.

К вопросу о педагогическом сопровождении формирования основ нравственной культуры дошкольника

The realities of the modern educational landscape are in constant interaction with complex challenges in the moral upbringing of preschool children, demanding a profound understanding of sociocultural and psychological aspects. Amid rapid technological advancements, changes in family structures, and cultural contexts, moral education and moral culture have become crucial aspects ensuring the holistic development of a child's personality. Educators are tasked with developing and implementing effective pedagogical support strategies that foster the formation of ethical values, social responsibility, and behavioral culture in children.Analyzing pedagogical strategies and methods in the realm of moral education for preschoolers allows the identification of optimal approaches that promote the development of their ethical values, responsibility, and social competence. These findings serve as the foundation for practical recommendations and methodological approaches aimed at enhancing the process of moral education in preschool institutions, encompassing innovative teaching methods, playful techniques, and pedagogical strategies that instill children with values and ethical skills. These methodologies, in our view, involve parental support and the engagement of the family institution, ensuring harmonious collaboration between educational institutions and parents in the moral development of preschoolers, instilling in them the necessary level of moral culture.The study of pedagogical support for the moral culture of preschoolers not only highlights the importance of shaping moral values in the early stages of life but also underscores the pivotal role of pedagogical strategies in this process. The development and implementation of innovative methodological approaches tailored to each child's individual needs represent an integral component in ensuring stable and harmonious moral development in educational settings. These research findings form the basis for further advancements in the field of education and upbringing, contributing to the establishment of ethical foundations for future generations.

Overview on the management of nocturnal enuresis in children in general pediatrics

Bedwetting, or enuresis, represents a socially stigmatizing and distressing condition that significantly impacts the quality of life for both children and their parents. This article seeks to assess and consolidate the current understanding of traditional and innovative treatments, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, for children with enuresis. The article discusses the various treatment modalities which have been developed and validated to alleviate symptoms of enuresis, enhance quality of life, and address the social and emotional challenges faced by affected children. Finally the article emphasizes the important primary role of general pediatricians that is to tailor therapy protocols to each individual child, considering their unique needs and circumstances, and working closely with their families to identify the most effective approach.