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Occupational Therapy: An Essential Component of Support for Young Children With Cancer

Jessica Sparrow1, Hannah Dagen1, Allison Harris1

  • 1St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.

OTJR : Occupation, Participation and Health
|August 5, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Most young children with cancer receive occupational therapy (OT) evaluations during hospitalization. Referrals for home-based OT services varied by age and cancer type, highlighting the need for continued support.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Early Childhood Development

Background:

  • Multidisciplinary clinics are essential for supporting infants and toddlers undergoing cancer treatment.
  • Access to occupational therapy (OT) for this vulnerable pediatric oncology population is not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency and characteristics of occupational therapy (OT) referrals for infants and toddlers with cancer.
  • To describe the patterns of OT service utilization in young children with cancer during hospitalization and post-discharge.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records for pediatric patients aged 0-3 years diagnosed with cancer.
  • Data extraction included demographic information, cancer diagnosis, and OT referral details from September 2015 to September 2018.
  • Analysis of referral rates for hospital-based and home/community-based OT services.

Main Results:

  • Out of 134 eligible patients, 112 (83.6%) received an OT evaluation.
  • 88.4% of patients were referred for hospital-based OT services.
  • 42.0% were recommended for home- or community-based OT services, with significant differences noted based on patient age and cancer type.

Conclusions:

  • Occupational therapy (OT) is frequently accessed by young children with cancer during hospitalization.
  • Referral patterns for post-discharge OT services indicate a need for tailored interventions based on individual patient factors.
  • Consistent OT support is vital for addressing the developmental needs of pediatric oncology patients throughout their treatment journey and beyond.

Keywords:
cancerchildrenoccupational therapypediatrics

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