Aim: To synthesize the experiences of 15- to 34-year-olds with cerebral palsy (CP) as they participate in key life situations of young adulthood.
Method: A mixed-methods scoping review was undertaken and six electronic databases searched (January 2001 to August 2023). Participation foci and thematic outcomes were mapped to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.
J Paediatr Child Health
December 2024
Aim: Complex care programmes for children with medically complex cerebral palsy (CP) exist; however, evidence for their impact is limited. This study (i) explored the impact of The Royal Children's Hospital Complex Care Hub (CCH) on hospital service utilisation rates over a 3-year period for children with medically complex CP compared with those eligible but received routine care, and (ii) compared health, disability and socio-demographic characteristics of children and their families in both groups.
Methods: Electronic medical record data from 78 children (mean age 9.
Dev Med Child Neurol
March 2025
Aim: To determine the proportion of persons with cerebral palsy (CP) with major congenital anomalies, factors associated with the presence of anomalies, body systems involved, potential contribution to CP aetiology, and causal pathway subgroups implicated.
Method: This population-based, observational study involved a cohort of 2238 persons born in one Australian state between 1999 and 2017. Major congenital anomalies were classified as affecting cerebral, cardiac, or other body systems, with further categorization as single or multisystem.
Disabil Rehabil
February 2025
Purpose: The primary aim was to establish feasibility of a home-based motorised cycling intervention in non-ambulant adults with cerebral palsy (CP). The secondary aim was to investigate perceived outcomes on pain, sleep, fatigue, and muscle stiffness.
Materials And Method: Non-ambulant adults with CP were recruited from a specialist clinic.
Purpose: The primary aim was to determine Child Health Utility 9D (CHU9D) utilities from the Caregiver Priorities and Child Health Index of Life with Disabilities (CPCHILD) for non-ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP).
Methods: One hundred and eight surveys completed by Australian parents/caregivers of children with CP were analysed. Spearman's coefficients were used to investigate the correlations between the two instruments.
Objectives: The EQ-5D-Y-5L is a generic preference-based measure of health-related quality of life for children. This study aimed to describe the distributional properties, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity of the EQ-5D-Y-5L in children with intellectual disability (ID).
Methods: Caregivers of children with ID (aged 4 to 18 years) completed an online survey, including a proxy-report EQ-5D-Y-5L, the Quality-of-life Inventory-Disability, and disability-appropriate measures corresponding to the EQ-5D dimensions: mobility, self-care (SC), usual activities (UA), pain/discomfort (PD), and worry/sadness/unhappiness.
Purpose: To study seizure manifestations and outcomes in children with cortical versus white matter injury, differences potentially explaining variability of epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy.
Methods: In this population-based retrospective cohort study, MRIs of children with cerebral palsy due to ischemia or haemorrhage were classified according to presence or absence of cortical injury. MRI findings were then correlated with history of neonatal seizures, seizures during childhood, epilepsy syndromes, and seizure outcomes.
Dev Med Child Neurol
July 2024
Aim: To describe the distribution of neuroimaging patterns in a term/late preterm population-based cohort with cerebral palsy (CP), ascertain associations between neuroimaging patterns and neonatal well-being, estimate the proportion with antenatal or perinatal timing of neuropathology, and apply this information to the understanding of common mechanisms of brain injury and causal pathways.
Method: The cohort for this observational study comprised 1348 persons born between 1999 and 2017 in Victoria, Australia. Using algorithms designed for the study, neonatal well-being and timing of brain injury were tabulated for the whole cohort and across neuroimaging patterns and birth epochs.
Objectives: The EQ-5D-5L is a generic health utility instrument for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL), with self-report and proxy report versions for children (EQ-5D-Y-5L). Children with intellectual disability (ID) are a heterogeneous population whose impairments and comorbidities place them at risk of poor HRQoL. This study aimed to describe the content validity and suitability for children with ID of a proxy report version of the EQ-5D-Y-5L as seen by their caregivers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Patient Rep Outcomes
November 2023
Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most common childhood disabilities, impacting many areas of a child's life. Increasingly, quality of life (QOL) measures are used to capture holistic wellbeing of children with CP. However most validated QOL measures for children are based on adult perspective only, with limited focus on child perspective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Pregnancy Childbirth
September 2023
Background: Fetoscopic laser coagulation of placental anastomoses reverses the pathological process in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, thereby increasing survival, but there are a paucity of studies addressing long-term neurodevelopmental outcome of survivors. This study aimed to ascertain the presence of neurodevelopmental disabilities in child survivors of monochorionic pregnancies managed by placental laser photocoagulation in the Australian state of Victoria.
Methods: All pregnancies undergoing placental laser photocoagulation with the Victorian Fetal Therapy Service between 2006-2017 were included.
J Child Neurol
April 2023
Purpose: To conduct a systematic review of self- and proxy-report fatigue assessment tools used in studies of people with cerebral palsy (CP) of all ages, and to develop a fatigue assessment tool decision tree for clinicians and researchers.
Materials And Methods: Five electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cochrane) were searched to September 2021 to identify studies assessing self-reported fatigue in people with CP of any age. The assessment tools utilised were extracted and two reviewers appraised the tool characteristics, clinical utility and psychometric properties.
Cells Tissues Organs
December 2023
Umbilical cord blood cells have therapeutic potential for neurological disorders, through a paracrine mechanism of action. A greater understanding of the safety and immunological effects of allogeneic donor cord blood cells in the context of a healthy recipient immune system, such as in cerebral palsy, is needed. This study aimed to determine how quickly donor cord blood cells were cleared from the circulation in children with cerebral palsy who received a single intravenous infusion of 12/12 human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling cord blood cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To provide an updated description of the rates, trends, and predictors of mortality of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), born in the Australian state of Victoria between 1970 and 2012.
Method: Data were extracted for 4807 individuals (2091 females; 2716 males). The probability of survival to 30th June 2017 was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.
Purpose: It is well documented parents of children who have a disability are at an increased risk of poor mental health and wellbeing. A capacity building program designed to build key worker self-efficacy to support the mental health of parents accessing early childhood intervention services (ECIS) for their child was trialled.
Materials And Methods: A stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial design was utilised to deliver and evaluate a 12-month intervention program, comprising tailored professional development, resource development and sustainability measures.
Res Dev Disabil
October 2022
Objective: To compare quality of life (QOL) across diagnoses associated with intellectual disability, construct QOL profiles and evaluate membership by diagnostic group, function and comorbidities.
Method: Primary caregivers of 526 children with intellectual disability (age 5-18 years) and a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, CDKL5 deficiency disorder or Rett syndrome completed the Quality of Life Inventory-Disability (QI-Disability) questionnaire. Latent profile analysis of the QI-Disability domain scores was conducted.
Dev Med Child Neurol
September 2022
Aim: To identify factors associated with quality of life (QoL) in children with intellectual disability. We aimed to identify patterns of association not observable in previous hypothesis-driven regression modelling using the same data set from a cross-sectional observational study.
Method: A questionnaire was completed by 442 caregivers of children with confirmed intellectual disability and a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or Rett syndrome.
Cytotherapy
September 2022
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a nonprogressive neurological disorder and the most common physical disability of childhood. There is no cure for CP, but stem cells have the potential to improve brain injury and hence function. This phase 1 clinical trial investigated the safety of the intravenous infusion of full-matched sibling cord blood cells for children with CP aged 1 to 16 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To investigate modifiable child and caregiver factors influencing community participation among children with Down syndrome.
Methods: Cross-sectional data from a study investigating quality of life of children with intellectual disability were analysed. Participants were caregivers of 89 children with Down syndrome (54 females; 83 school attenders) (mean age 11 y 1 mo; SD 4 y 1 mo).
Front Neurol
December 2021
In Australia, the National Disability Strategy provides a framework to guide actions and investment to achieve equity in social inclusion and economic participation for people with disability. We investigated the social outcomes of school leavers with cerebral palsy (CP) in Victoria, Australia and explored the determinants of desirable outcomes. We used the Victorian CP Register to invite all adults with CP aged 18-25 years ( = 649).
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