Parental functioning improves the developmental quotient of pediatric liver transplant recipients

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Transplant Surgery

Background:

• Psychomotor development in pediatric liver transplant (LT) recipients is multifactorial.
• Parental involvement and family dynamics are crucial yet underexplored factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of parental involvement and family dynamics on psychomotor development in pediatric LT recipients.
• To assess children and parents individually, the parent-child relationship, and parental functioning pre- and post-LT.
• To correlate parental functioning with patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized age-appropriate scales for assessing children and parents before and after LT.
• Evaluated 21 pediatric patients, 19 mothers, and 16 fathers.
• Assessed developmental quotient (DQ), parent-child relationship, and parental functioning.

Main Results:

• No subjects achieved a "very good" developmental quotient (DQ).
• The proportion of children with psychomotor deficits increased from LT to two years post-transplant (17.6% vs. 28.6%).
• Infants transplanted (0-2 years) showed higher rates of normal DQ and more favorable mother-child relationships post-LT compared to older children. Children transplanted after two years experienced greater long-term deficits.
• Normal DQ correlated with higher maternal global functioning pre-LT. Paternal scores generally exceeded maternal scores.

Conclusions:

• Early liver transplantation in infants is associated with better psychomotor development and parent-child relationship quality.
• Parental functioning, particularly maternal, is linked to improved child outcomes post-transplant.
• Family dynamics and parental well-being are critical considerations for optimizing psychomotor development in pediatric liver transplant recipients.