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The non-specific effects of maternal immunization on birth outcomes: The evidence, mechanisms, and the implicationsPreterm birth (PTB) and stillbirth remain two of the most important causes of death, morbidity, and disability in childhood. Despite efforts to reduce PTB and stillbirth worldwide, rates of these adverse outcomes remain persistently elevated, independent of income setting. There is an urgent need for more effective interventions to reduce associated neonatal and early childhood morbidity and mortality.
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Intellectual disabilities and autism among children with congenital heart defects, Western Australia, 1983–2010Children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) are at higher risk of developing an intellectual disability. However, severity of intellectual disabilities among this group of children are largely unknown. Our objective was to determine the risk of intellectual disability (ID), ID severity, and autism among children with CHDs.
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Patterns, trends, and factors influencing hospitalizations for craniosynostosis in Western Australia. A population-based studyUnderstanding hospital service use among children with a diagnosis of craniosynostosis is important to improve services and outcomes. This study aimed to describe population-level trends, patterns, and factors influencing hospitalizations for craniosynostosis in Western Australia.
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Implications of providing wrist-hand orthoses for children with cerebral palsy: evidence from a randomised controlled trialTo investigate the effects of providing rigid wrist-hand orthoses plus usual multidisciplinary care, on reducing hand impairments in children with cerebral palsy.
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Medical Comorbidities in MECP2 Duplication Syndrome: Results from the International MECP2 Duplication DatabaseSince the discovery of MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS) in 1999, efforts to characterise this disorder have been limited by a lack of large datasets, with small case series often favouring the reporting of certain conditions over others. This study is the largest to date, featuring 134 males and 20 females, ascertained from the international MECP2 Duplication Database (MDBase).
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Motor problems in autism: Co-occurrence or feature?Motor features of autism have long been acknowledged by clinicians, researchers, and community stakeholders. Current DSM-5 and ICD-11 guidelines allow clinicians to assign a co-occurring diagnosis of developmental [motor] coordination disorder for autistic individuals with significant motor problems.
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Is sleep captured during a standard daytime EEG sufficient to diagnose Electrical Status Epilepticus in SleepElectrical Status epilepticus of sleep (SES) is an EEG pattern where there is significant activation of epileptiform activity in NREM sleep. A spike wave index (SWI) of > 80-85% is often labelled as typical SES. We aimed to explore if sleep during a standard daytime-EEG, as compared an overnight-EEG, was adequate to diagnose ESES.
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Psychometric evaluation of clinician- and caregiver-reported clinical severity assessments for individuals with CDKL5 deficiency disorderThe CDKL5 Clinical Severity Assessment is a comprehensive, content-validated measurement tool capturing the diverse challenges of cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 deficiency disorder, a genetically caused developmental epileptic encephalopathy. The CCSA is divided into clinician-reported and caregiver-reported assessments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factor structure of these measures through confirmatory factor analysis and evaluate their validity and reliability.
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Italian Version of QI-Disability for QoL Evaluation in Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disability: Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation ProcessChildren and adolescents with Intellectual Disability experience a worse Quality-of-Life (QoL) relative to typically developing peers. Thus, QoL evaluation is important for identifying support needs and improving rehabilitation effectiveness. Nevertheless, currently in Italy there are not tools with this scope. This study aims to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Quality-of-Life Inventory-Disability into Italian.
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International workshop: what is needed to ensure outcome measures for Rett syndrome are fit-for-purpose for clinical trials? June 7, 2023, Nashville, USAThe clinical, research and advocacy communities for Rett syndrome are striving to achieve clinical trial readiness, including having fit-for-purpose clinical outcome assessments. This study aimed to (1) describe psychometric properties of clinical outcome assessment for Rett syndrome and (2) identify what is needed to ensure that fit-for-purpose clinical outcome assessments are available for clinical trials.