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Early Cognitive and Adaptive Functioning of Clinically Referred Infants and Toddlers with Cancer

Ansley E Kenney1, Jennifer L Harman1, Andrew E Molnar1

  • 1Department of Psychology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 740, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.

Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings
|April 18, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Infants and toddlers with cancer show significantly below-average developmental and adaptive functioning. Early cancer diagnosis in young children risks developmental delays, necessitating further research for optimal outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Cancer diagnosis in infancy and toddlerhood (under 3 years) can disrupt crucial developmental periods.
  • Young children with cancer face potential missed developmental opportunities.
  • Early childhood cancer impacts cognitive and adaptive development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the developmental and adaptive functioning of infants and toddlers with cancer.
  • To evaluate children referred for psychological assessment at a hospital-based clinic.
  • To identify risks for developmental weaknesses in very young children with cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective data abstraction from 29 children diagnosed with cancer before age 3.
  • Analysis of clinically referred assessments conducted between 2010 and 2015.
  • Evaluation of developmental and adaptive functioning in infants and toddlers post-cancer diagnosis.

Main Results:

  • Overall developmental functioning was significantly below expected levels (p < .001).
  • Adaptive functioning was also significantly below expectations (p < .001).
  • Children assessed were, on average, 23.62 months old and 11.3 months post-diagnosis.

Conclusions:

  • Infants and toddlers with cancer are at significant risk for impaired cognitive and adaptive functioning.
  • Deficits observed warrant further investigation into this population.
  • Early intervention and support are crucial for optimizing functional development in young children with cancer.

Keywords:
Childhood cancerDeficitsInfants and toddlersPsychological functioning

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