A comparison of WPPSI-IV performance between Finland-Swedish minority children and the Scandinavian test norms: Findings from The FinSwed Study.

OBJECTIVE: The Swedish Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-IV) is commonly used for assessing young children belonging to the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland (Finland-Swedes), but there is no information about the generalizability of this test and its norms to this minority. Cross-cultural comparisons of WPPSI-IV are also scarce. We compared the performance of Finland-Swedish children to the Scandinavian norms of the Swedish WPPSI-IV and explored the relationship between sociodemographic factors (age, sex, parental education level, bilingualism) and the performance. METHOD: The Swedish WPPSI-IV was administered to 79 typically developing 5-6-year-old Finland-Swedish children assessed for The FinSwed Study. Their performance was compared to the Scandinavian norms using MANOVA, t-test, and confidence interval comparisons. Associations with sociodemographic variables were explored using regression analyses. RESULTS: Finland-Swedish children performed, on average, 1/3 SD higher than the Scandinavian norms, a difference which was statistically significant with medium-sized effects. However, individual subtests and indexes did not differ significantly from the norms. Significant associations with sociodemographic factors were found for some but not all index scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides clinically important information for using the Swedish WPPSI-IV with the Finland-Swedish minority and demonstrates aspects that clinicians working with this minority should take into account. The results are presumably partly explained by characteristics of the present sample, and partly by cultural and linguistic differences between the Finland-Swedish population and the Scandinavian countries. The findings also illustrate that cross-cultural differences in cognitive performance may be present even between similar cultures with the same language.

Distance learning in Italian primary and middle school children during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national survey.

BACKGROUND: School closure created difficulties for parents, who were asked to care for their children and help them with schooling, while working at home. We aimed to explore the experiences in organising school for children at home and its implications on children's psychological well-being and educational progress during the quarantine for the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A nationwide online survey of mothers of primary and middle school students was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Demographic data and information on distance learning organisation and children's attitudes and behavioural changes were collected. RESULTS: 2149 mothers completed the survey, with a final sample of 1601 subjects. Large differences between primary and middle school emerged: lessons were less organised and routines were more instable for the youngest, who could not pay attention for more than 20 min (28.3%) and needed breaks every 10 min (21.6%), with lower quality of learning (40.6%), increased restlessness (69.1%), and aggressiveness (33.3%). A large use of screens was reported, with an abuse in screen time in 2%. Two thirds of mothers did not approve of distance learning (72.2%) because of their role in replacing teachers (77.8%), the effort required (66%), and the great commitment required (78.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Distance learning increased educational deprivation and social inequalities, especially for the youngest children, who lost almost one year of school. The situation was even worse for children with disabilities, who were neglected by the institutions. This period should be considered as an opportunity to correct the weaknesses of our school system.

Adding the Coping Power Programme to parent management training: the cost-effectiveness of stacking interventions for children with disruptive behaviour disorders.

Parent management training (PMT) programmes and child cognitive behavioural therapy are recommended approaches for treatment of oppositional defiant disorder in children, and combining these may be effective. However, little is known regarding the economic efficiency of this additive effect. A within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out in Sweden including 120 children aged 8-12 who screened positive for disruptive behaviour disorders, within a psychiatric care setting, and their parents. They were randomly assigned to either the Swedish group-based PMT Comet, or to an enhanced version, where an additional child component was provided, the Coping Power Programme (CPP). Child behaviour problems as well as healthcare and educational resource use were measured at baseline, post-test and at two-year follow-up. A net benefit regression framework was used to estimate differences in costs and health outcomes between the two intervention arms during the two-year period. Comet with CPP cost on average 820 EURO more per family than Comet only. At the 2-year follow-up, there were 37% recovered cases of ODD in Comet with CPP, in comparison to 26% in the Comet only arm. At a willingness-to-pay of approximately 62,300 EURO per recovered case of ODD, Comet with CPP yielded positive net benefits, in comparison to Comet only. Offering children the CPP simultaneously as their parents receive PMT, in comparison to only providing PMT, yields clinically relevant gains. Despite the relatively small cost for CPP, investment in combining PMT and CPP should be guided by resource prioritisation. Trial registration number: ISRCTN10834473, date of registration: 23/12/2015.

Psychological and Behavioral Impact of Lockdown and Quarantine Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic on Children, Adolescents and Caregivers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: During the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, psychological problems like anxiety, depression, irritability, mood swings, inattention and sleep disturbance are fairly common among quarantined children in several studies. A systematic review of these publications to provide an accurate burden of these psychiatric/behavioral problems is needed for planning mitigating measures by the health authorities. METHODS: Different electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CENTRAL, medRxiv and bioRxiv) were searched for articles describing psychological/behavioral complications in children/adolescents with/without pre-existing behavioral abnormalities and their caregivers related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only original articles with/without comparator arms and a minimum sample size of 50 were included in the analysis. The pooled estimate of various psychological/behavioral problems was calculated using a random-effect meta-analysis. RESULTS: Fifteen studies describing 22 996 children/adolescents fulfilled the eligibility criteria from a total of 219 records. Overall, 34.5%, 41.7%, 42.3% and 30.8% of children were found to be suffering from anxiety, depression, irritability and inattention. Although the behavior/psychological state of a total of 79.4% of children was affected negatively by the pandemic and quarantine, at least 22.5% of children had a significant fear of COVID-19, and 35.2% and 21.3% of children had boredom and sleep disturbance. Similarly, 52.3% and 27.4% of caregivers developed anxiety and depression, respectively, while being in isolation with children. CONCLUSION: Anxiety, depression, irritability, boredom, inattention and fear of COVID-19 are predominant new-onset psychological problems in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children with pre-existing behavioral problems like autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have a high probability of worsening of their behavioral symptoms.

How to use the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development.

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition (Bayley-III) is a gold standard series of behavioural assessments used by clinicians and researchers to assess the developmental functioning of young children. The rigorous psychometric properties of the tool are attributed to the carefully standardised normative sample and quantitative scoring system. It is a common end-point assessment used in neonatal trials and is routinely used in a clinical setting to assess the development of children at risk of delay. Incidence of developmental delay is higher in clinical populations such as those born preterm or with complications such as neonatal encephalopathy. Early identification of delay is critical as early intervention is most effective in minimising impairment; therefore, routine assessment of developmental outcomes is recommended, particularly among high-risk populations.

Same proof, different pudding: comparative views of New Zealand child psychiatrists, child psychologists and child psychotherapists regarding a proposed national child and adolescent research network.

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to evaluate the views of New Zealand clinicians regarding a proposed national child and adolescent mental health research network. METHODS: Child psychiatrists, child psychologists and child psychotherapists were invited to participate in an electronic survey describing their previous experience of research, current interest in research, barriers to undertaking research and interest in a national research network. RESULTS: Responses were received from child psychiatrists (N = 33), child psychologists (N = 58) and child psychotherapists (N = 8), many of whom were clinicians and few of whom were researchers. Although most clinicians were interested in participating in future research, areas of interest differed between clinical groups. Clinician barriers to research included lack of time, lack of confidence and lack of research skills. Researcher barriers included lack of funding, time and administrative support. All groups were supportive of the development of a national research network. CONCLUSIONS: Despite some different areas of interest, there appears to be sufficient combined support from New Zealand child psychiatrists, child psychologists and child psychotherapists to pursue the establishment of a national child and adolescent mental health research network.

Fifteen-minute consultation: Diabulimia and disordered eating in childhood diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a common chronic disease in children and young people. Living with diabetes can pose many challenges both medical and psychological. Disordered eating behaviours, intentional insulin omission and recognised eating disorders are common among young people with diabetes and are associated with increased risk of short-term and long-term complications and death. Recognition of these behaviours is important to ensure that relevant support is provided. Joint working between diabetes and mental health teams has challenges but is essential to ensure all needs are met during treatment and recovery.

Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) and developmental co-ordination disorder.

BACKGROUND: Benign epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BECTS) is a common childhood epilepsy syndrome also known as Rolandic Epilepsy (RE). Neurocognitive phenotypes have been described with greater focus on attention, reading and language domains but there have been far fewer studies focusing on motor functioning. This study included measures of motor, language and cognition in order to investigate the range, degree and pattern of difficulties associated with BECTS in a case series of children, but with a particular emphasis on motor skills. METHOD: Twenty-one children aged between 8 and 16years with a diagnosis of BECTS were asked to complete standardized assessments for language, cognition, motor functioning and handwriting. RESULTS: When measuring across language, cognitive and motor domains, 19 (90.48%) of the twenty-one children with a diagnosis of BECTS showed some difficulties on at least one area of functioning using standardized assessment tests. Of particular note nearly half (47.62%) of the children had some difficulties in one or more areas of motor functioning. DISCUSSION: Children with BECTS have a heterogeneous pattern of neurocognitive impairments. The presence of motor difficulties (DCD) should be considered in all children routinely seen in clinical settings with BECTS and included in any screening processes.

No evidence of whole population mental health impact of the Triple P parenting programme: findings from a routine dataset.

BACKGROUND: The Triple P parenting programme has been reported to improve child mental health at population level, but it consumes substantial resources. Previous published work has suggested improvements in whole population scores in the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Total Difficulties Scale among samples of children following introduction of the programme. This paper aims to explore whether Triple P had an impact on child mental health problems using routinely collected data over 6 years before and during the implementation of the multilevel Triple P programme in Glasgow City. METHODS: Annual monitoring of teacher-rated SDQ Total Difficulties Scale scores among children in their pre-school year in Glasgow City. RESULTS: No significant or consistent changes in SDQ Total Difficulties Scale scores were seen during or after the implementation of Triple P programme on a whole population level. CONCLUSION: Triple P in Glasgow City appears to have had no impact on early child mental health problems over a 6 year period. The Triple P programme, implemented on a whole population level, is unlikely to produce measurable benefits in terms of child mental health.

Meals and snacks: Children's characterizations of food and eating cues.

This study examined preschoolers' and their parents' categorizations of eating episodes based on cues used for defining these occasions (i.e., time, portion size, preparation, content, and emotion) as a meal or snack. Thirty-four children aged 4 to 6 saw pictorial representations of each cue, along with a short verbal description, and were asked to place the picture in one of three boxes: "meal", "snack", or "either meal or snack". One parent per child (85% mothers, Mean age = 35.1 years) separately categorized the same items in an online survey. Results illustrated which cues play a role in how parents and children categorize eating occasions as meals or snacks. Parents used 24 of the 32 cue-related items to distinguish between eating occasions as a meal or a snack, while children used only four. Parents and preschoolers were consistent in using cartoon character packaging to indicate a snack, and also used several of the same content cues. The current study highlights the various cues used to categorize an eating occasion, and the unhealthy character of snacks, as participants associated some unhealthy foods and very few healthy foods with snacks. Future research should focus on the role of parents, the home environment, and advertising media in shaping children's characterizations of eating occasions towards development of healthy eating habits and away from problematic eating behaviors that may persist later in life.

Doing more for mental health.

Mental health is an integral part of all child health, and therefore, a vital part of paediatric practice, for which paediatricians often feel ill-prepared and unsupported. This article aims to outline some of the arguments for the importance of mental health and offers outline suggestions for improvements to everyday paediatric practice.

Junior MARSIPAN (Management of Really Sick Patients with Anorexia Nervosa).

We present a review of the Junior MARSIPAN (Management of Really Sick Patients with Anorexia Nervosa) guideline, which provides paediatricians with a framework for managing Anorexia Nervosa in the inpatient setting.

Fifteen minute consultation: tics and Tourette syndrome.

Tic disorders including Tourette syndrome (TS) are neuropsychiatric disorders that are common referrals to paediatricians, paediatric neurologists and child psychiatrists. Although differentiating tics and TS from other movement disorders is not difficult, it is essential to detect comorbid conditions and their contribution to TS.

Fifteen-minute consultation: Medically unexplained symptoms.

Medically unexplained symptoms are common and not always easy to manage. A wide range of symptoms may be presented and anxiety in the child, family and paediatrician about the possibility of a missed serious organic diagnosis may hamper effective management. Evidence-based approaches to a number of different presenting problems share a number of components. A model for assessment and management based on clinical experience and this evidence base is described.

It's always snack time: an investigation of event scripts in young children.

This study examined whether young children include eating in their cognitive scripts for various events, and whether food-related scripts are associated with body mass index (BMI) percentile. Data were collected in a structured interview format. Participants, recruited from area preschools and day cares, provided a four-activity sequence for each of three events, and responses were recorded verbatim. Forty-four children (45% female) participated, with an average BMI percentile of 73.3% (SD = 25.9). Data were binarily coded to indicate whether each response was food-related. Frequencies were obtained, and responses were correlated with BMI percentile. Over 22% of the activities in the children's scripts involved food. The number of food-related activities reported was positively correlated with children's BMI percentile (r = 0.53, p = 0.03). Results provide preliminary evidence that food features prominently in young children's event scripts and that children with higher BMI percentiles may possess scripts that feature more food-related themes. Future researchers should investigate the causal nature of this relationship.

The Role of Parental Emotional Health and Parenting Practices in Offspring Mental Health.

In the family social environment, children can experience and observe stressful situations, involving mental health and parental practices. The review by Mendes-Sousa et al. examines the relation between family stress, child development, and offspring mental health. Of the main results, we highlight the relationship between maternal depression with developmental delays and child internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Furthermore, negative parenting practices were also related to children's emotional and behavioral problems, while positive practices were beneficial to the socio-emotional development of offspring. The review warns about preventing socio-emotional problems in offspring, through promoting parental mental health, positive parenting practices, and cohesive family environments. Finally, we envision a significant path for subsequent research on maternal emotional overload and the central role of mothers in caring for their offspring, exploring shared care for children and potential public policies aimed at mothers' mental health and social inclusion.

Mental health clinical pathways for children and young people with long-term health conditions: A systematic review.

RATIONALE: Clinical pathways (CPWs) are structured care plans that set out essential steps in the care of patients with a specific clinical problem. Amidst calls for the prioritisation of integrated mental and physical health care for young people, multidisciplinary CPWs have been proposed as a step towards closer integration. There is very limited evidence around CPWs for young people with mental and physical health needs, necessitating a review of the literature. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review is to understand how clinical pathways have been used to deliver mental health support to children and young people with long-term physical health conditions and their effectiveness across a range of outcomes. METHODS: The databases MEDLINE, CENTRAL, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched from inception to 6 September 2023. Keywords linked to children and young people, mental health, long-term physical health conditions and CPWs were used. Studies using either quantitative or qualitative research designs were included. All studies must have evaluated a CPW to provide mental health support to children and young people (up to 25 years old) with long-term health physical conditions. Both mental and physical health outcomes were considered. Pathways were grouped by integration 'model' as described in the wider literature. RESULTS: The initial search returned 4082 studies after deduplication. A total of eight studies detailing six distinct care pathways (232 participants [170 children and young people; 50 caregivers; 12 healthcare professionals]) met eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis. Four pathways were conducted within an 'integrated model'; two were a combination of 'integrated' and 'colocated'; and none within a 'co-ordinated model'. Only pathways within an integrated model reported quantitative health outcomes, with improvements across a range of mental health measures. One negative physical health outcome was reported from an integrated diabetes pathway, but this should be interpreted with caution. CONCLUSION: This review identified a range of CPW designs but most fell under an integrated model. The results suggest that calls for integrated mental health pathways in this population may be appropriate; however, conclusions are limited by a paucity of evidence.

Shaping Smiles: A Narrative Review of Crown Advancements in Pediatric Dentistry.

This review examines the evolution of dental crowns in pediatric dentistry, highlighting the transition from traditional materials such as stainless steel to aesthetic and biocompatible alternatives like zirconia, resin-based composites, and Bioflex crowns. It focuses on their importance in repairing decayed or damaged teeth and improving children's oral health and psychological well-being. The methodology involved a comprehensive literature search over the past two decades, utilizing databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Chat.Consensus.App, with keywords related to pediatric dental crowns. The findings indicate that stainless steel crowns (SSCs) are valued for durability and cost-effectiveness, but they may cause hypersensitivity. Zirconia crowns are favored for biocompatibility, resistance, and aesthetics, although they are costlier and require more tooth reduction. Resin-based composite strip crowns offer a balance of aesthetics and function but have challenges in long-term stability. The review also touches on Bioflex crowns, noting their flexibility, but the limited research on their effectiveness. In summary, the review underscores the vital role of various dental crown materials in pediatric dentistry, stressing the importance of ongoing research to enhance clinical outcomes and pediatric patient quality of life. The selection of crown materials should consider efficacy, aesthetics, and the psychosocial effects on young patients.

Screens and Preschools: The Bilingual English Language Learner Assessment as a Curriculum-Compliant Digital Application.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The increase in digital tools in early childhood education highlights the need for evidence-based assessments that support cognitive development and align with educational requirements and technological advances. This study contributes to the evaluation of the Bilingual English Language Learner Assessment (BELLA), designed to enhance early learning through curriculum-aligned tasks in preschool-aged children. METHODS: Data were collected from 17 schools, including 506 preschool children, using a mixed-model approach to assess BELLA's capacity to appraise early numeracy, literacy, science, and social/emotional development. Analyses included a three-way ANOVA to examine the effects of sex, age, and sub-domain on pass rates and mixed-effects models to evaluate interactions between age and domain. RESULTS: The results indicated a significant effect of age on performance across all domains, with older children demonstrating higher pass rates (p < 0.0001). No significant gender bias was detected. The interaction between age and domain was also significant (p < 0.0001), suggesting domain-specific age-related performance trends, which aligns with internal validity requirements. CONCLUSION: These findings position BELLA within the growing body of literature on digital media use in early childhood assessment and education, highlighting its potential as a curriculum-compliant digital assessment tool that evaluates and supports cognitive development without a gender bias. This study contributes to the field by providing empirical evidence of BELLA's effectiveness and suggesting future research directions, including the exploration of its bilingual (and potentially multilingual) applications and external validation against existing evidence-based assessments.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the korean version of the minneapolis-manchester quality of life instrument-adolescent form.

We verified the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Minneapolis-Manchester Quality of Life Instrument-Adolescent Form (KMMQL-AF) among Korean childhood cancer survivors. A total of 107 childhood cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment and 98 childhood cancer survivors who completed cancer treatment were recruited. To assess the internal structure of the KMMQL-AF, we performed multi-trait scaling analyses and exploratory factor analysis. Additionally, we compared each domains of the KMMQL-AF with those of the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS). Internal consistency of the KMMQL-AF was sufficient (Cronbach's alpha: 0.78-0.92). In multi-trait scaling analyses, the KMMQL-AF showed sufficient construct validity. The "physical functioning" domain showed moderate correlation with Karnofsky scores and the "psychological functioning" domain showed moderate-to-high correlation with the RCMAS. The KMMQL-AF discriminated between subgroups of different adolescent cancer survivors depending on treatment completion. The KMMQL-AF is a sufficiently reliable and valid instrument for measuring quality of life among Korean childhood cancer survivors.