OBJECTIVES: The decision to forgo life support is frequently made in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). A group of experts is currently preparing recommendations for guidelines concerning this decision-making process in France. We have performed…
This study explored the safety and efficacy of synthetic melatonin in the treatment of sleep problems in 20 children with developmental disabilities, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 6-week trial of melatonin versus placebo. All but…
This is the third of a series of three articles examining the recent changes in the law in relation to ethics and the practice of paediatric anaesthesia. The review covers, in a practical question and answer format, the topics of consent, research,…
SCOPE OF THE REPORT: This report is concerned with the evaluation of measures broadly designed to measure quality of life (QoL) in children and adolescents, either by self-report or proxy raters. Four research questions were identified: (1) To what…
BACKGROUND: Children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) might benefit from pediatric supportive care services, such as home nursing, palliative care, or hospice, especially those children whose conditions are severe enough to cause death. We do…
Compliance with medical therapies may be considered a challenge in many age groups but especially so in adolescence. The adolescent patient with chronic lung disease may struggle to progress smoothly through the phases of adolescence because of fears…
OBJECTIVE: To study the usage, efficacy, and side effects patterns of atypical neuroleptics (atypicals) in adolescents and young adults with developmental disabilities (DDs) (mental retardation). METHOD: We undertook a chart review of adolescents and…
In this preliminary study we examined both posttraumatic stress and general distress among parents of children diagnosed with a brain tumor. Participants included 28 parents of children diagnosed with a brain rumor who completed self-report measures…
AIMS: To determine the extent of futile care provided to critically ill children admitted to a paediatric intensive care setting. METHODS: Prospective evaluation of consecutive admissions to a 20 bedded multidisciplinary paediatric intensive care…
This study examines parental perceptions of the importance of grandparents as providers of routine care to children with disabilities and the impact of such assistance on parental well-being. Data are drawn from a survey and follow-up interactive…
Human development is often understood as an interplay between biological, sociohistorical, and social factors, as well as individual developmental actions. However, historical influences on development have rarely been investigated. The present study…
The article presents a rationale for and components of a developmental systems model to guide early intervention programs for vulnerable children and their families. Core principles emphasizing a developmental framework, integration, and inclusion,…
An expert working group of the European Association for Palliative Care has revised and updated its guidelines on the use of morphine in the management of cancer pain. The revised recommendations presented here give guidance on the use of morphine…
This paper studies test-retest reliability and validity of one measure of adolescent health complaints. The test-retest included an eight-item symptom checklist developed for the survey of Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (n=344). Qualitative…
CONTEXT: There are many patients with terminal illness for whom hospice care would be appropriate, but they either never enroll or enroll very late. In a pre-hospice program designed to help patients make the transition into hospice, we observed that…
The United States is becoming increasingly pluralistic. Pediatricians must become familiar with the factors that affect the emotional, physical, and spiritual health of their patients that are outside the kin of the traditionally dominant value…
Over 20 years ago, hospice in the United States evolved to provide end-of-life care for terminally ill patients. However, three major barriers exist, which limit access to hospice care. The first two, cultural and regulatory barriers, are not under…
The Faces Pain Scale (FPS; Bieri et al., Pain 41 (1990) 139) is a self-report measure used to assess the intensity of children's pain. Three studies were carried out to revise the original scale and validate the adapted version. In the first phase,…
Participating in end-of-life decisions is life altering for adolescents with incurable cancer, their families, and their healthcare providers. However, no empirically developed and validated guidelines to assist patients, parents, and healthcare…
The purpose of this article is to provide data on a recently developed instrument to measure the multidimensional nature of the bereavement process. In contrast to widely used grief instruments that have been developed using rational methods of…
This multicentre, observational study examined the efficacy of the therapeutic transdermal fentanyl system (TTS-fentanyl) in children requiring opioids for pain in life-threatening disease. Forty-one children receiving oral morphine (median dose 60…
Palliative medicine has developed as a specialized field of practice in recent decades but the focus has been very much on older adults with incurable malignancies. The needs of dying children have not been addressed adequately and the question of…
The results of a novel approach to the use of ketamine in refractory cancer pain are reported. In this prospective, multicenter, unblinded, open-label audit, 39 patients (with a total of 43 pains) received a short duration (3 to 5 days) ketamine…
Aim-To investigate breathing rhythm and brain stem autonomic control in patients with Rett disorder. Setting-Two university teaching hospitals in the United Kingdom and the Rett Centre, Sweden. Patients-56 female patients with Rett disorder, aged…
The purpose of this family-focused, grounded-theory study was to develop a substantive theory that explains how individual family members heal in the aftermath of youth suicide. Individual healing following youth suicide is conceptualized as a…
The classification of diseases affecting white matter has changed dramatically with the use of magnetic resonance imaging. Classical leukodystrophies, such as metachromatic leukodystrophy and Krabbe's disease, account for only a small number of…
The Delphi technique is an approach used to gain consensus among a panel of experts. This is normally achieved through a series of rounds where information is fed back to panel members using questionnaires. It has been used extensively within social…
AIMS: To delineate common and variable features and outcome of children with congenital disorder of glycosylation type Ia (CDG-Ia) caused by the frequent R141H/F119L PMM2 genotype. METHODS: Clinical data on 25 patients (mean age 7.6 years, range…
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe the variables influencing end-of-life care in children and adolescents dying of cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records of 146 children with cancer who died at Children's Hospital were reviewed for…
BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal motility is frequently impaired after abdominal surgery. We investigated the effects of neostigmine on colonic motility in patients after colorectal surgery and in healthy volunteers. METHODS: Colonic motility was…
The purpose of this study was to describe the factors that predict compliance among adolescents with a chronic illness. The data were collected by questionnaires from adolescents with asthma, epilepsy, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and…
