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Updated: Jun 14, 2025
Author Spotlight: Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients With a Digital Occupational Training System
Published on: December 29, 2023
Outcomes after childhood stroke in an inpatient paediatric rehabilitation unit: A retrospective study
Timothy McGowan1, Janet Danielson1, Frances Gehrmann2
1Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Insights
Pediatric stroke survivors showed significant functional improvements after inpatient rehabilitation. Comorbidities were linked to lower functional levels at discharge, despite similar rehabilitation lengths of stay.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Childhood stroke incidence is 2-13 per 100,000 children.
- Limited consensus exists on best practices for pediatric stroke rehabilitation.
- Tertiary institutions are key sites for managing complex pediatric stroke cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate factors influencing outcomes in pediatric stroke rehabilitation.
- To analyze the relationship between stroke type, functional status, muscle strength, and length of stay (LOS).
- To provide preliminary data on a cohort of children post-stroke.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 42 children admitted for inpatient rehabilitation between 2014-2019.
- Evaluated factors including LOS, functional change (WeeFIM scores), comorbidities, and muscle strength.
- Exploratory analyses and paired t-tests were used to assess functional improvements.
Main Results:
- Ischemic stroke was more common (n=24) than hemorrhagic stroke (n=16).
- Significant functional improvements were observed across all WeeFIM domains from admission to discharge.
- Comorbidities correlated with lower discharge functional levels, irrespective of rehabilitation LOS.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric stroke survivors demonstrate substantial functional gains following inpatient rehabilitation.
- The self-care domain showed greater improvement compared to mobility and cognition domains.
- Further research is needed to establish evidence-based guidelines for pediatric stroke rehabilitation.
Aim:
Childhood stroke has an estimated incidence of 2-13 per 100 000 children. Limited consensus exists regarding best practice recommendations for childhood stroke rehabilitation. A retrospective study completed at a tertiary institution identified potential associations between factors including type of stroke, functional presentation, muscle strength and length of stay (LOS).
Methods:
A retrospective study of children post-stroke admitted 2014-2019 evaluated factors influencing outcome within inpatient rehabilitation. Exploratory analyses were completed to investigate relationships between variables including LOS, functional change, premorbid comorbidities and muscle strength.
Results:
Data on 42 episodes of care (42 children: 18 males) following stroke were sourced from 2014 to 2019. Descriptive statistics were calculated for patient demographics, stroke characteristics, surgical treatment, premorbid comorbidities and muscle strength. Differences in WeeFIM scores between admission and discharge from the inpatient rehabilitation unit were tested using paired t tests. A higher number of children sustained ischaemic stroke (AIS, n = 24) when compared with haemorrhagic stroke (HS, n = 16). The average proportion of rehabilitation LOS to total hospital stay across all stroke types was 54.5%. Assessment of function demonstrated significant improvement between admission and discharge scores across all WeeFIM domains. Presence of comorbidities across stroke survivors was correlated with lower functional levels at discharge despite similar rehabilitation LOS.
Conclusion:
Limited consensus exists guiding paediatric rehabilitation post-childhood stroke. This paper provides preliminary data on a cohort post-childhood stroke at a tertiary-level inpatient service. Paediatric stroke survivors showed significant functional improvements after inpatient rehabilitation, with the self-care domain showing greater improvements than mobility and cognition domains, respectively.
