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Copyright of Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This review outlines a conceptual approach to inform research and practice aimed at supporting children whose lives are complicated by impairment and/or chronic medical conditions, and their families. 'Participation' in meaningful life activities should be an essential intervention goal, to meet the challenges of healthy growth and development, and to provide opportunities to help ensure that young people with impairments reach their full potential across their lifespan. Intervention activities and research can focus on participation as either an independent or dependent variable. The proposed framework and associated hypotheses are applicable to children and young people with a wide variety of conditions, and to their families. In taking a fresh 'non-categorical' perspective to health for children and young people, asking new questions, and exploring issues in innovative ways, we expect to learn lessons and to develop creative solutions that will ultimately benefit children with a wide variety of impairments and challenges, and their families, everywhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To identify neonatal predictors to allow a developmental prognosis of the cognitive abilities of survivors born very preterm/very low birthweight (VLBW) into adult life.Method: The Bavarian Longitudinal Study is a prospective whole-population study that followed 260 infants born very preterm/VLBW from birth to adulthood. Regression analyses examined which neonatal factors predicted adult IQ.Results: Neonatal morbidity, neonatal treatment, and early social environment of infants born very preterm/VLBW explained 37.6% of the variance in adult IQ. Seven unique early-life predictors of lower adulthood IQ were found: respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular haemorrhage, problems with mobility, mechanical ventilation, less parenteral nutrition, low/middle socioeconomic status, and poor early parent-infant relationships. Specifically, modifiable factors such as mechanical ventilation predicted a drop of 0.43 IQ points for each day of treatment, adjusted for initial respiratory problems. Good early parent-infant relationships predicted an approximately 5-point increase in adult IQ, adjusted for other significant predictors such as socioeconomic status.Interpretation: Mechanical ventilation, parenteral feeding, and early parenting were identified as significant modifiable factors that were strongly related to adult IQ. Mechanical ventilation policies have changed but there is scope for early interventions that focus on positive parenting, which may reduce the adverse effects of very preterm/VLBW birth on cognitive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To test the effect of child, family, and environmental factors on young children's participation in home-based activities.Method: Caregivers of young children were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. Participants were 395 caregivers of children (222 males, 173 females) aged from 1 month to 5 years and 11 months. Demographic items and the home section of the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure were administered online, followed by completion of the daily activities, mobility, and social/cognitive domains of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test by telephone interview.Results: A structural equation model fitted the data well (comparative fit index=0.91) and explained 31.2% of the variance in perceived environmental support and 42.5% of the variance in home involvement. Functional limitations and performance had an indirect effect on young children's participation through their effect on perceived environmental support. Specifically, fewer functional limitations and higher task performance were associated with greater environmental support, which in turn predicted higher levels of home involvement.Interpretation: Results suggest the importance of a young child's functional abilities and task performance on caregiver perceptions of environmental support at home, and the impact of environmental support on a child's participation in home-based activities during the early childhood period. Results warrant replication with more diverse samples to evaluate model generalizability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented which discusses need for appropriate space for children with disabilities. Topics discussed include materials used for making playground equipment for intervention schools such as styrofoam boxes and milk crates as well as risk associated with them; enhancement of children in the intervention schools into physical activity; and risk associated with playgrounds and outdoor activities to children with disabilities.