Global COVID-19 childhood disability data coordination: A collaborative initiative of the International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disability.

Purpose: The International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disability created a COVID-19 Task Force with the goal of understanding the global impact of COVID-19 on children with disabilities and their families. The aim of this paper is to synthesize existing evidence describing the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities, derived from surveys conducted across the globe.

Methods: A descriptive environmental scan of surveys was conducted.

Child disability and family-centred care in East Africa: Perspectives from a workshop with stakeholders and health practitioners.

Background: Our understanding of child disability has undergone major changes over the last three decades transforming our approach to assessment and management. Globally there are significant gaps in the application of these 21st century models of care. There is recognition that economic, cultural, and social factors influence transitions in care and there is need to consider contextual factors.

Fifteen-minute consultation: The dizzy child.

Vestibular disorders are often overlooked in children and may cause significant morbidity. About a third of children presenting with problems in balance show a vestibular pathology and the overall prevalence of paediatric vertigo is about 5%. Appropriate diagnosis and holistic management can have a significantly positive impact on a child's quality of life and can be very rewarding.

Fifteen-minute consultation: When medicines don't work-the child with poorly controlled seizures.

Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) occurs in 20%-30% of children with epilepsy with significant impact on their quality of life. Management of this group of children has greatly improved in the recent years with streamlining of epilepsy surgery services and associated quaternary multimodal evaluation. This article provides a review of DRE in children and management based on recent evidence and published opinion.

Austerity and families with disabled children: a European survey.

Aim: To describe the impact austerity measures have had on families with disabled children across Europe and on professionals providing services for them.

Method: Cross-sectional surveys were disseminated via professional and family networks in 32 European countries for 3 months from December 2016.

Results: Families (n=731), of whom 45% met UNICEF criteria for severe poverty, and professionals (n=959) responded from 23 and 32 countries respectively.

Fifteen-minute consultation: Approach to the child with an acute confusional state.

Acute confusional state (ACS) refers to sudden impairment of cognitive function and represents a major medical emergency. The impairment may be global or confined specifically to a particular faculty of higher mental function, such as memory. This review highlights the importance of relevant medical history and clinical signs and symptoms in reaching the correct diagnosis.

Fifteen minute consultation: tics and Tourette syndrome.

Tic disorders including Tourette syndrome (TS) are neuropsychiatric disorders that are common referrals to paediatricians, paediatric neurologists and child psychiatrists. Although differentiating tics and TS from other movement disorders is not difficult, it is essential to detect comorbid conditions and their contribution to TS.

Fifteen-minute consultation: A child with toe walking.

Toe walking is a common developmental phenomenon in young children. It is usually benign and self-limiting. Toe walking can be a presenting sign of some serious underlying disorders and idiopathic toe walking is a diagnosis of exclusion.

Fifteen-minute consultation on the infant with a large head.

An infant with a large head (2.5 SDs above normal for weight and gender or above 99.6th centile for age) is a common clinical presentation.

Climate change and child health.

Postindustrial human activity has contributed to rising atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases causing global warming and climate change. The adverse effects of climate change affect children disproportionately, especially in the developing world. Urgent action is necessary to mitigate the causes and adapt to the negative effects of climate change.