Does Intrauterine Exposure to Diabetes Impact Mental and Motor Skills? A Meta-Analysis of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.

BACKGROUND: Attempts to conduct meta-analyses of the association between child development and diabetes have been limited by the wide range of tools and definitions of developmental outcomes used in the literature. We aim to meta-analyze a widely used measure of child development, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, with respect to exposure to diabetes and developmental scores. METHODS: PsycINFO, MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Emcare, and Google Scholar databases were searched. Two independent reviewers screened, extracted, and quality-appraised the studies using JBI SUMARI software. Forest plots were created with the standardized mean difference using the random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed using I2. RESULTS: Seven studies were identified. The pooled results on psychomotor and mental development index mean scores were lower for infants born to mothers with diabetes than for the control group (Cohen's d = -4.49, df = 7, I2 = 0%, p = 0.001 and Cohen's d = -3.4, df = 9, I2 = 27%, p = 0.001, respectively). Effects were larger in infants born to mothers with type 1 and 2 diabetes and at age 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal diabetes should be considered as a risk factor for children's development, mainly when born to mothers with pre-existing diabetes.

Interactive technology use and child development: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: There is mixed evidence regarding the impact of interactive digital devices on child development. Tentatively some studies suggested that the use of digital devices may correlate negatively with language, executive function, and motor skills. However, attempts to amalgamate this evidence has been limited related to the available number of experimental and cohort studies that have evaluated the impact of digital technology use on child development. We conducted this review to determine the impact of interactive digital devices on child development among children aged 7 years or younger. Interactive technology has been defined as methods, tools, or devices that users interact with in order to achieve specific tasks. DATA SOURCE: To carry out this systematic review, databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched for relevant studies. STUDY SELECTION: We used the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for systematic reviews. DATA EXTRACTION: Data extraction and synthesis was carried out by two reviewers and checked by a third reviewer. Studies were stratified into tiers depending on the level of evidence provided and the domain of development assessed. RESULTS: Fifty-three studies were eligible for inclusion in the review, 39 Tier 1 (randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies) and 16 Tier 2 (descriptive studies). Children's use of interactive digital technology was positively associated with receptive language and executive function and negatively associated or unrelated to motor proficiency. Other critical aspects informing the evidence, such as dose of exposure, intensity, or duration, were inconsistently reported, making estimates of exposure tentative and imprecise. CONCLUSION: The studies included in this review were predominantly correlational or comparative in nature and focuses on cognitive domains of learning rather than a specific developmental outcome. It is difficult to generalize our findings beyond the digital devices or applications that have been evaluated by earlier studies. The contextual factors that may moderate the relationship require elaboration in future studies.

Language abilities in children born to mothers diagnosed with diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis reviewed and synthesized the available evidence on the association between intrauterine exposure to maternal diabetes and language abilities in children. METHOD: MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global, and Google Scholar databases were searched through December 2020. Studies were systematically searched, and effect sizes were calculated using random effects models. RESULTS: Twelve studies were identified for inclusion in this review, however, only 10 were included in the meta-analysis. Sample size ranged from 9 to 115 participants in the diabetes group and 28 to 8192 in the control and aged around 3 years. The pooled results of the meta-analysis showed a trend of decreased language abilities in receptive (z = -3.49, df = 10, I2 = 34, p = 0.001), expressive language development (z = -2.29, df = 11, I2 = 94%, p = 0.022) and general communication (z = -4.12, df = 4, I2 = 2, p = 0.001) However, results showed a limited effect of maternal diabetes on children's language abilities after excluding high-risk categories such as children born to mothers with other gestational comorbidities, obesity and low socio-economic status. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis recognises that exposure to maternal diabetes during pregnancy intersects with other factors within the intrauterine environment to create the conditions for reduced language abilities in the child. Multiple factors may contribute to the observed differences between groups in the meta-analysis. A focus on interventions to maintain optimal blood glucose levels during pregnancy and to screen for early developmental delay after birth is recommended.

Beliefs About Illness and Treatment Decision Modelling During Ill-Health in Arabic Families.

BACKGROUND: The use of self-prescribed antibiotics and other unproven herbal remedies is common in the Arab world. Understanding how family members decide to manage illness is an important priority for health care providers. PURPOSE: This paper presents a new model that can be viewed as an extension to the Health Belief Model and help clarifies the cognitive processes families use to manage illness in an Arab family in Jordan. It aims to generate an understanding of family beliefs about the causes of illness and appraisal of how best to manage illness in an Arab family. METHODS: A qualitative approach using a family interview method was used to collect data. Twenty-five families participated in semi-structured interviews designed to elicit representational models of illness and treatment-decisions. RESULTS: Thematic analysis revealed two forms of intertwined beliefs: core beliefs (fatalistic) and secondary beliefs (biomedical, supernatural and situational beliefs). Four key elements were identified as underpinning the involvement of family in treatment decision: perceived threat of illness, efficacy of treatment option, cost or availability and family prior experience. CONCLUSION: An understanding of the health belief model and related cognitive appraisal processes used by families may assist health care providers to engage with and overcome some of the social, cultural, and structural variables that could influence how family members decide to manage illness in Jordan.

A concept analysis of psychological distress in parents related to diabetes management in children and adolescents.

PURPOSE: To report a concept analysis of parents' psychological distress in the context of diabetes management among children and adolescents. A clear understanding of the possible impact of diabetes management on parents will help to inform how nurses can work with parents to support glycaemic control in children and adolescents. DESIGN AND METHOD: Concept analysis using Walker and Avant's eight-stage approach was used as a guiding framework. PubMed, OVID (CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo), the Cochrane library and the Joanna Briggs library were searched for the past 50 years. RESULTS: Thirty-three studies provided data for the concept analysis. Attributes included difficulty coping, changes in emotional status and manifestations of mental health problems. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: Based on the literature synthesis, we suggest all facets of distress related to diabetes can in principle be inferred through the proposed relationship between distress and other interactions of individual coping, caring burden and family relational functioning. The proposed conceptual model linking antecedents' factors and individual characteristics of parents to the concepts of psychological distress may assist researchers to design interventions for supporting diabetes management in children and adolescents.

Newborn Care Practices of Mothers in Arab Societies: Implication for Infant Welfare.

INTRODUCTION: There are at least 22 Arab league states and sections in Northern Africa, southwestern Asia, and Europe that incorporate the vast Middle Eastern culture. The purpose of this study was to identify the cultural variations in newborn care practices, self-management of common illnesses, and their potential impact on infant welfare. METHOD: A qualitative design using a focus group approach with 37 Arab mothers in Jordan was used. RESULTS: Findings revealed strong similarities in terms of beliefs, care practices, and the experience of intergenerational conflict in establishing and maintaining traditional practices among mothers. Potentially harmful practices included restrictive swaddling, rubbing a newborn's body with salt, and encouraging the ingestion of herbs in newborns. DISCUSSION: It is important for nurses and midwives to be aware of traditional practices, cultural beliefs, and the implications for infant welfare if they are to effectively engage with families to promote the well-being of the newborn.

The 12-year prevalence and trends of childhood disabilities in Australia: Findings from the Survey of Disability, Aging and Carers.

AIM: This paper contributes to knowledge on the prevalence and nature of disabilities in Australian children over a 12-year period (2003-2015). Understanding the current state of childhood disability is imperative for predicting future needs for long-term care and early intervention services for this population. METHODS: We used data on children 0-14 years from the 2003, 2009, 2012, and 2015 survey of Disability, Aging and Carers, which is an ongoing national survey covering both rural and urban areas of all States and Territories of Australia. RESULTS: Using the test for trends in population, no significant increases were noted in the prevalence of childhood disabilities over the last 12 years, although the prevalence of any developmental disability increased from 6.9% to 7.42% between 2009 and 2015. The rate and severity of disability was higher among boys compared with girls of the same age for a number of selected disabilities and higher for children aged 5-14 years. CONCLUSIONS: With the anticipated rise in psychological related disability among Australian children, there is a need to ensure availability of a flexible and responsive model of service delivery for this population. This also implies that respite service coverage may need to be substantially increased to meet children and caregivers' needs.

Measuring Care Needs of Parents of Children With Cancer: Psychometric Properties of the FIN-PED II Arabic Version.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study was conducted to test the Arabic version of the Family Inventory of Needs-Pediatrics II (FIN-PED II). METHODS: The Arabic FIN-PED II was developed using the translation/back-translation method. Then, an expert panel of 5 parents of children with cancer rated the tool for clarity and content validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability was evaluated in a convenience sample of 113 parents of children with cancer. RESULTS: The FIN-PED II was found to be acceptable and clear to almost all parents. The FIN-PED II demonstrated good psychometric properties. The internal consistency was high with alpha values > 0.70 and high test-retest correlations. CONCLUSIONS: Although the Arabic FIN-PED II needs further psychometric testing, it is an acceptable, reliable, and valid measure of perceived parents need during child's treatment.

Jordanian mothers' beliefs about the causes of cancer in their children and their impact on the maternal role.

BACKGROUND: Arab culture and Islamic beliefs contribute to values and practices regarding cancer. Mothers in Jordanian society are expected to be the primary caregivers to children. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore Jordanian mothers' beliefs regarding the causes of cancer in their children and their impact on their role as mothers. DESIGN: A descriptive, qualitative design was used. Individual interviews were conducted with Jordanian mothers (n = 51) of hospitalized children with cancer. RESULTS: Causes of cancer were attributed to supernatural explanations and biomedical explanations. The impact of cancer on these mothers' lives varied. For some, their child's illness resulted in stronger family bonds, whereas for others, the families suffered a state of disequilibrium. CONCLUSIONS: Cultural beliefs helped assign meaning to their children's illness. The maternal role of Jordanian women was partially fulfilled or inadequately performed, which in turn affected the functioning and coping abilities of the entire household.

Cross-cultural validation of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™) generic core scale into Arabic language.

BACKGROUND: A range of scales is available to measure health-related quality of life. Recently, established quality of life scales have been translated for use in a wide range of Western and non-Western cultures. One of the most widely used health-related quality of life scales for use with children is the PedsQL™ 4.0. In this paper, we describe the process of translating this scale into Arabic and establishing its reliability and validity. AIM: This paper has three aims: first, to explain the process of translating the PedsQL™ (4.0) self- and proxy-reports for the ages 8-12 and 13-18, from English into Arabic; second, to assess the reliability of the new Arabic version of the scale and third, to assess its validity. METHOD: The scale was translated from English to Arabic and back-translated to ensure accuracy. The Arabic version was administered to healthy children and those with cancer and a range of chronic illnesses in Jordan. Statistical methods were used to test the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the Arabic version of the PedsQL™ (4.0) and its ability to discriminate between children in the above groups. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha coefficients for child self- and parent proxy-reports exceeded 0.7 for the total scores, health summary scores and psychological health summary scores. Testing for discriminant validity showed that the healthy (control) group had a higher health-related quality of life than children and young people with cancer and chronic illness. The children with chronic illnesses had the lowest scores for physical, emotional and school functioning. CONCLUSION: Initial testing of the Arabic version of the PedsQL™ (4.0) suggests that the scale has satisfactory psychometric properties.