Clinical pediatrics
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Clinical pediatrics · Mar 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialAddressing dental fear in children with autism spectrum disorders: a randomized controlled pilot study using electronic screen media.
Dental care is a significant unmet health care need for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Many children with ASD do not receive dental care because of fear associated with dental procedures; oftentimes they require general anesthesia for regular dental procedures, placing them at risk of associated complications. Many children with ASD have a strong preference for visual stimuli, particularly electronic screen media. The use of visual teaching materials is a fundamental principle in designing educational programs for children with ASD. ⋯ These findings suggest that certain electronic screen media technologies may be useful tools for reducing fear and uncooperative behaviors among children with ASD undergoing dental visits. Further studies are needed to assess the efficacy of these strategies using larger sample sizes. Findings from future studies could be relevant for nondental providers who care for children with ASD in other medical settings.
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Clinical pediatrics · Mar 2014
Observational StudyAmbulance transport of noncritical children: emergency medical service providers' knowledge, opinions, and practice.
Safe ambulance transport of children presents unique challenges. Our study describes child passenger restraint practices during ambulance transport, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers' knowledge, training, and use of child passenger restraint devices (CRD). ⋯ Study findings supports education and training of EMS personnel to improve the safe ambulance transport of children.