Sitting Postural Management to Prevent Migration Percentage Progression in Non-Ambulatory Children with Cerebral Palsy: Randomized Controlled Trial Preliminary Data.

Background/Objectives: To determine whether a sitting position with the femoral heads centered into the acetabulum is more effective than the usual sitting position in preventing migration percentage progression in non-ambulatory children with bilateral cerebral palsy. Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized controlled trial. INCLUSION CRITERIA: spastic or dyskinetic cerebral palsy, Gross Motor Function Classification System level IV-V, age 1-6 years, migration percentage <41%, and informed consent. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: contractures affecting the hip, anterior luxation, previous hip surgery, and lumbar scoliosis. The treatment group sat with their hips significantly abducted to reduce the head into the acetabulum in a customized system for at least five hours/day for two years. Controls sat with the pelvis and lower limbs aligned but the hips less abducted in an adaptive seating system. The primary outcome was migration percentage (MP) progression. Health-related quality of life and family satisfaction were among the secondary outcomes. The study was approved by the local ethics board and conducted in accordance with CONSORT reporting guidelines. CLINICALTRIALS: gov ID: NCT04603625. RESULTS: Overall median MP progression was 1.6 after the first year and 2.5 after the second year. No significant differences were observed between the groups. MP exceeded 40% and 50% in 1.8% and 0% of the experimental group and 5.4% and 3.6% of controls in years 1 and 2, respectively. Both groups expressed satisfaction with the postural system and stable health-related quality of life. Conclusions: MP remained stable over the two-year period in both groups. Considering outliers which progressed over 50%, a more protective trend of the hip-centering sitting approach emerged, but this needs to be confirmed in a final, larger dataset.

Effectiveness of action observation treatment based on pathological model in hemiplegic children: a randomized-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Action observation treatment (AOT) is an innovative therapeutic approach consisting in the observation of actions followed by their subsequent repetition. The standard version of AOT consists in the observation/imitation of a typically developed individual, which is proposed as model (TDM-AOT). AIM: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of AOT based on a pathological ameliorative model (PAM-AOT) versus TDM-AOT in improving upper limb ability in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP). DESIGN: The study consists in a prospective randomized controlled, evaluator-blinded trial (RCT), with two active arms, designed to evaluate the effectiveness of AOT based on pathological model (PAM-AOT) as compared to a standard AOT based on TDM (TDM-AOT). SETTING: The 3-week AOT program was administered in a clinical setting. For some patients, the treatment was delivered at participant's home with the remote support of the physiotherapist (tele-rehabilitation). POPULATION: Twenty-six children with UCP (mean age 10.5±3.09 years; 14 females) participated in the study, with the experimental group observing a pathological model and the control group observing a typically developed model. METHODS: Motor assessments included unimanual and bimanual ability measures conducted at T0 (baseline, before the treatment), T1 (3 weeks after T0), T2 (8-12 weeks after treatment) and T3 (24-28 weeks after treatment); a subset of 16 patients also underwent fMRI motor assessment. Generalized Estimating Equations models were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Both groups showed significant improvement in bimanual function (GEE, Wald 106.16; P<0.001) at T1 (P<0.001), T2 (P<0.001), and T3 (P<0.001). Noteworthy, the experimental group showed greater improvement than the control group immediately after treatment (P<0.013). Both groups exhibited similar improvement in unimanual ability (GEE, Wald 25.49; P<0.001). The fMRI assessments revealed increased activation of ventral premotor cortex after treatment in the experimental compared with control group (GEE, Wald 6.26; P<0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study highlights the effectiveness of PAM-AOT in achieving short-term improvement of upper limb ability in children with UCP. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: These findings have significant implications for rehabilitative interventions based on AOT in hemiplegic children, by proposing a non-traditional approach focused on the most functional improvement achievable by imitating a pathological model.

Anal tear in a girl due to the penetration of a dog's penis. Unusual case report.

We present the case of a six year and two months old girl who showed a large anal tear, attributed to the penetration of pet dog's penis. After several interviews with the child, as well as her parents, the paediatric psychiatrist assessed the account of events as authentic, understanding by that her narration of events approaches to the subject's truth. According with the guidelines the patient was discharged home with strict follow up by her paediatrician. The girl continued to be followed up by the same paediatrician for eight years. Currently, she is 14 years and 3 months old, without any pathologies and a good school performance. A new evaluation by a psychiatrist not involved with the healthcare team, confirmed the diagnosis of anal tear due to the penetration of the pet's penis. The present report is the third in the literature regarding anal lesions in children caused by the penetration of a dog penis. It is the one at a youngest age and the first on a girl. It concerns a truly rare situation, but it still should be taken into account when the mechanism is alleged. The seriousness of overlooking child abuse, as well as a potential wrong diagnosis, are indications for thorough initial physical and psychosocial evaluations.

Resultados de la aplicación de la autopsia psicológica al estudio del suicidio de niños y adolescentes en Uruguay / Child and adolescent suicide psychological autopsy study in Uruguay

El suicidio en Uruguay es un problema de salud pública. Aunque el suicidio de niños y adolescentes presenta características propias, no hay publicaciones nacionales dirigidas específicamente a ese grupo. La autopsia psicológica revolucionó el estudio del suicidio y resultó exitosa para el estudio del suicidio de niños y adolescentes en otros países. Obj.: realizar la primera experiencia nacional de utilización de la autopsia psicológica para estudiar los suicidios de niños y adolescentes. Describir el perfil de la población de niños y adolescentes que consumaron suicidio en Uruguay en el año 2002, y su entorno familiar y social. Conocer las características del acto suicida. Comparar los resultados obtenidos con la literatura extranjera. Mat. y mét.: se realizó un estudio de casos comparativo de todas las personas de hasta 19 años que consumaron suicidio en Uruguay en 2002. Se estudiaron certificados de defunción, partes policiales, actuaciones judiciales, historia clínica, diarios personales, notas suicidas y se entrevistó a familiares, allegados, docentes y terapeutas. Resultados: 38 casos cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión. La mayoría fueron varones (n=27) y la edad media fue de 17 años. En los menores de 15 años hubo un leve predominio femenino. Sólo 12 cursaban estudios y la mayoría no estaba inserto en el sistema educativo ni laboral. La evaluación multiaxial mostró elevados índices de trastornos psiquiátricos. Dentro del eje I predominaron los trastornos del estado de ánimo y por ansiedad, en el eje II la personalidad tipo B. La gran mayoría (n=30) no recibía tratamiento al momento del suicidio. Los pocos casos en consulta (n=4) cursaban cuadros depresivos, pero sólo a uno se le administraba tratamiento farmacológico antidepresivo. Se detectaron múltiples eventos vitales estresantes. Dentro de los ocurridos en el mes previo a la muerte predominaron los problemas de pareja, cambios de domicilio, problemas con la ley y desavenencias con los padres. El método suicida más empleado fue el arma de fuego, seguido del ahorcamiento. La intoxicación fue un método exclusivamente femenino. Casi la mitad de los casos había realizado un aviso explícito y en la tercera parte existían antecedentes de intento de suicidio. Conclusiones: la autopsia psicológica fue útil para el estudio del suicidio de niños y adolescentes en Uruguay.