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Falls in Hospitalized Children With Neurodevelopmental Conditions: A Cross-sectional, Correlational Study
Insights
Children with neurodevelopmental conditions experience more in-hospital falls than those with neurological conditions. Fall prevention programs should target neurodevelopmental conditions, considering factors like age, gender, and IQ.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare
- Patient safety
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
Background:
- In-hospital falls pose a significant risk to pediatric patients.
- Children with neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions may have increased fall risk.
- Understanding risk factors is crucial for effective fall prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate in-hospital falls in children with neurological versus neurodevelopmental conditions.
- To identify child characteristics associated with falls in these populations.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional, correlational study of 446 pediatric patients (298 neurological, 148 neurodevelopmental).
- Utilized the Humpty Dumpty Falls Scale (HDFS) and assessed intellectual quotient (IQ).
Main Results:
- The neurodevelopmental group had higher HDFS scores (p=.001) and fall rates (12.9% vs 5.1%, p=.003).
- HDFS scores negatively correlated with age, gender, and IQ in both groups.
Conclusions:
- Children with neurodevelopmental conditions exhibit higher in-hospital fall rates.
- Fall prevention programs should be specifically implemented for children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Purpose:
The aim of the current study was to investigate in-hospital falls among children with neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions and investigated associated child characteristics.
Design:
A cross-sectional, correlational study design was used in this study. A total of 446 patients were enrolled in the study, of which 298 were admitted with neurological conditions and 148 with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Methods:
Intelligent quotient (IQ) was assessed according to age, and the Humpty Dumpty Falls Scale (HDFS) was completed and scored for each participant.
Findings:
The neurodevelopmental group showed higher HDFS total mean score (p = .001) compared to the neurological group. We found that fall rates are more frequent (p = .003) in the neurodevelopmental group (12.9%) compared with the neurological group (5.1%). In addition, we found that, in both groups, HDFS total mean score correlates negatively with children's age, gender and IQ.
Conclusions And Clinical Relevance:
The results of this study suggest that the fall prevention programs must be implemented in children with neurodevelopmental conditions, not only in children with neurological conditions.
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