A pilot randomized controlled trial assessing secondary prevention of traumatic stress integrated into pediatric trauma care.

Medical settings provide opportunities for secondary prevention of traumatic stress and other sequelae of pediatric injury. This pilot randomized trial evaluated the delivery and effectiveness of a targeted preventive intervention based on best practice recommendations and integrated within acute medical care. Hospitalized injured children were screened for risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Prevalence and correlates of posttraumatic stress and postpartum depression in parents of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in mothers and fathers, and postpartum depression (PPD) in mothers, of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). 86 mothers and 41 fathers completed measures of ASD and of parent perception of infant medical severity 3-5 days after the infant's NICU admission (T1), and measures of PTSD and PPD 30 days later (T2). 35% of mothers and 24% of fathers met ASD diagnostic criteria at T1, and 15% of mothers and 8% of fathers met PTSD diagnostic criteria at T2.

Families of infants and young children with cancer: a post-traumatic stress framework.

Despite unique vulnerabilities in infants and young children, little research has been devoted to understanding the psychological impact of the diagnosis of cancer in this age group. We outline psychological factors affecting very young cancer patients and their families, using the broader literature on psychological adjustment of children and adolescents with cancer and their families, and a post-traumatic stress model for understanding likely reactions of children and families. Examples of evidence-based interventional approaches relevant to families of young children with cancer are presented.

Acute traumatic stress symptoms in child occupants and their parent drivers after crash involvement.

Background: Approximately 1 in 4 children hospitalized with injuries from traffic crashes and their parents experience symptoms of acute stress disorder (ASD). These families represent a minority of those exposed to the trauma of a crash. To date, no studies have explored the prevalence of ASD symptoms in the broader population of children and parents exposed to crashes.

Assessment of pain after injury in the pediatric patient: child and parent perceptions.

Background/purpose: Pain is an inevitable consequence of injury. Accurate assessment and treatment of a child's pain after injury is essential. This study sought to describe children's pain with injury and to elucidate the concordance of parental and self-reported pain in a pediatric traffic-injured population.

Acute stress disorder symptoms in children and their parents after pediatric traffic injury.

Objective: The American Academy of Pediatrics highlights the important role of pediatricians in recognizing adverse child responses to tragic events, such as traffic crashes. One challenge in effectively identifying children and their parents with troubling psychological responses to trauma is that little is known about the normal range of acute psychological responses in children and their parents in the immediate aftermath of traumatic events, making identification of adverse child responses difficult. Within the first month after a traumatic event, individuals may display reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal symptoms as well as dissociation (eg, feelings of unreality or emotional numbing).