Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 6, 2025
Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Published on: January 12, 2019
Functional outcomes in children related to self-care, mobility, and social function after stroke in early childhood:
Larissa Audi Teixeira Mota1, Daniela Rodrigues Baleroni Silva2, Luzia Iara Pfeifer1
1Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Ribeirão Preto SP, Brazil.
Insights
Pediatric stroke survivors often achieve age-appropriate function in self-care and mobility. However, bilateral injuries and longer hospital stays negatively impact social function, highlighting the need for targeted rehabilitation and social skill monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Developmental pediatrics
- Rehabilitation medicine
Background:
- Pediatric stroke is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality.
- Children face unique, often disease-related, stroke risk factors.
- Stroke can impair functional capacity, with limited research on activity and participation outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate post-stroke functional outcomes in children concerning self-care, mobility, and social function.
- To identify factors influencing functional recovery in young stroke survivors.
Main Methods:
- Assessment of 14 children under 7.5 years old using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI).
- Focus on functional domains: self-care, mobility, and social function.
- Analysis of correlations between injury characteristics, hospital stay, and functional scores.
Main Results:
- Preschoolers demonstrated age-appropriate functional outcomes in self-care (71.4%) and mobility (71.4%).
- Social function outcomes were age-appropriate in 92.9% of cases.
- Worse social function scores were associated with bilateral injuries (p=0.05) and longer hospitalizations (r=-0.79, p=0.001).
Conclusions:
- Young stroke survivors generally show age-appropriate functional abilities.
- Bilateral injuries and prolonged hospital stays are linked to poorer social function outcomes.
- Rehabilitation should prioritize activities, participation, and monitoring social skill development post-stroke.
Background:
Stroke has been increasingly recognized as an important morbidity and mortality factor in neonates and children. Children have different and more diverse risk factors than adults, commonly related to an underlying disease. Stroke may compromise functional capacity in children. Few studies have focused on functional outcomes related to activities and participation.
Objectives:
To investigate post-stroke functionality of children related to self-care, mobility, and social function.
Methods:
We assessed the functional outcome of 14 children younger than 7.5 years who suffered a stroke in early childhood through the use of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI).
Results:
The average age of the sample at assessment was 3.6 ± 1.4 years (2 - 6 years). The average scores in the PEDI functional domains of self-care, mobility, and social function were, respectively, 37.6 ± 15.4, 36.2 ± 15.4, and 48.7 ± 11.1. Children showed age-appropriate functional outcomes in the PEDI functional domains: 71.4% of them in self-care and mobility and 92.9% in social function. Children with bilateral injuries (p = 0.05) and longer hospital stays (r = -0.79, p = 0.001) showed the worst scores in PEDI's social function domains.
Conclusions:
Overall, our sample of preschool children showed age-appropriate functional outcomes on self-care, mobility, and social function domains after stroke. However, children with bilateral injuries and longer hospital stays showed the worst scores in social function domains. We recommend focusing on functional rehabilitation to promote activities and participation and to monitor the development of children's social skills after stroke.
