Developing the FEEDS toolkit of parent-delivered interventions for eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties in young children with neurodisability: findings from a Delphi survey and stakeholder consultation workshops.

Background: Young children with neurodisability commonly experience eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (EDSD). Little is documented about which interventions and outcomes are most appropriate for such children. We aimed to seek consensus between parents of children with neurodisability and health professionals on the appropriate interventions and outcomes to inform future clinical developments and research studies.

Visual attention and dietary supplementation in children with perinatal brain injury.

Aim: To investigate whether children with perinatal brain injury have impairments in specific components of visual attention, and whether early dietary supplementation can reduce any deficits.

Method: Children participating in the Dolphin neonatal trial of dietary supplementation were tested at age 6 months with the Infant Fixation Shift Attention Test, and at 4 to 5 years with four subtests of the Early Childhood Attention Battery (ECAB) assessing different components of attention (selective, sustained, and executive function), and the Fluid Crystallized Intelligence Index of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II). From 59 children originally assigned to trial groups, 33 were available for testing at 4 to 5 years (18 treatment group of whom seven, six, and five showed mild, moderate, or severe neonatal brain injury; 15 controls with one, seven, and seven in the neonatal brain injury categories respectively).

Parent-delivered interventions used at home to improve eating, drinking and swallowing in children with neurodisability: the FEEDS mixed-methods study.

Background: Eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties are common in young children with neurodisability. These difficulties may lead to inadequate calorie intake, which affects a child's nutrition, growth and general physical health.

Objective: To examine which interventions are available that can be delivered at home by parents to improve eating, drinking and swallowing in young children with neurodisability and are suitable for investigation in pragmatic trials.

Neurodevelopmental outcome of nutritional intervention in newborn infants at risk of neurodevelopmental impairment: the Dolphin neonatal double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Aim: To investigate whether neonates at risk for neurodevelopmental impairment have improved neurodevelopment after docosahexaenoic acid, choline, and uridine-5-monophosphate supplementation versus controls.

Method: Recruitment was from UK neonatal units. Eligible for inclusion were infants born at less than 31 weeks' gestation with a weight less than the ninth centile; infants born at less than 31 weeks' gestation with a grade II or higher intraventricular haemorrhage/preterm white matter injury; infants born between 31 weeks' and 40 weeks' gestation plus 28 days with a grade II or higher intraventricular haemorrhage/preterm white matter injury, moderate or severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, or defined neuroimaging abnormalities.

Nutritional intervention and neurodevelopmental outcome in infants with suspected cerebral palsy: the Dolphin infant double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Aim: To investigate whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), choline, and uridine-5-monophosphate (UMP) supplementation improves neurodevelopmental outcome in infants with suspected cerebral palsy (CP) versus a comparison group of children.

Method: Infants aged 1 to 18 months with suspected CP were recruited from UK child development centres. Participants received daily treatment or control supplementation for 2 years (double-blind randomized control design).

Optimising nutrition to improve growth and reduce neurodisabilities in neonates at risk of neurological impairment, and children with suspected or confirmed cerebral palsy.

Background: Neurological impairment is a common sequelae of perinatal brain injury. Plasticity of the developing brain is due to a rich substrate of developing neurones, synaptic elements and extracellular matrix. Interventions supporting this inherent capacity for plasticity may improve the developmental outcome of infants following brain injury.

How common is childhood myasthenia? The UK incidence and prevalence of autoimmune and congenital myasthenia.

Objective: To ascertain the frequency of childhood myasthenia in the UK. Specifically, we aimed to identify the detected incidence of autoimmune myasthenia and the detected prevalence of genetically confirmed congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) in children.

Methods: All children under 18 years of age on 31 December 2009 with a confirmed CMS genetic mutation were identified by the only UK laboratory undertaking CMS genetic testing.

Feeding difficulties in children with cerebral palsy.

Feeding difficulties are common in children with cerebral palsy and have an effect on growth, nutritional state, general health, social interaction and behaviour and developmental outcomes. Many factors have an effect on feeding ability. Identification of these factors and amelioration of their impact on feeding difficulties is essential to promote adequate growth and nutrition.

Growth in cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy is often accompanied by abnormalities of growth and nutrition; children with severe motor impairments are most at risk. Nutrition, neurological, and endocrine factors all contribute to suboptimal growth. Poor growth and nutrition are associated with poor general health outcomes and reduced levels of participation, and therefore warrant careful evaluation and appropriate intervention.

Deep brain stimulation in childhood: an effective treatment for early onset idiopathic generalised dystonia.

Background: Early onset idiopathic generalised dystonia is a progressive and profoundly disabling condition. Medical treatment may ameliorate symptoms. However, many children have profound, intractable disability including the loss of ambulation and speech, and difficulties with feeding.