ABSTRACT
Many countries have applied mandatory confinement measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as school and kindergarten closures, which confined families to their homes. The study concerns the impacts of the first COVID-19 lockdown on the relationships between Portuguese parents and their children, in a non-clinical population composed of fathers and mothers of children between the ages of 12 months and 3 years and 364 days. An online questionnaire (set by the research team) and the Parenting Daily Hassles Scale (PDHS) concerning the confinement period were applied between 17 June and 29 July 2020. To assess the impacts of the lockdown, outcomes regarding the impacts perceived by the parents, the potential regression in the development of children, and the willingness to promote changes in family routines in the future, were considered. Of the total sample (n = 1885), 95.4% of the parents (n = 1798) said that, after confinement, the relationship with their children had improved or remained similar to the pre-confinement period; 97.3% (n = 1835) noticed positive changes in the development of their children, and 63.7% (n = 1200) noted that the relationships with their children during the confinement period would lead to some changes in family routines in the future. Multivariate regression analyses showed that most of the sociodemographic variables chosen were not associated with the outcomes. However, significant levels of pressure over parenting and parental overload (reported by high scores in the PDHS intensity and frequency scales), challenging behaviors of the children, and the impacts they had on parental tasks had negative influences on the studied outcomes. On the contrary, the number of adults living with their children, the perceptions regarding the development of their children, and sharing new experiences with them were significant factors for positively-perceived impacts on the relationships between them or in the desire to bring about changes in family routines in the future. The impacts of the lockdown on the relationships between parents and children aged between 1 and 3 years old were more dependent on relational aspects and on the parents' sense of competence in exercising parental functions. We conclude that, despite the increased demands imposed by the lockdown, nearly all of the parents evaluated the quality of the relationship with their children as positive after this period.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The Centro de Estudos do Bebé e da Criança in Hospital Dona Estefânia has organized a multidisciplinary model for children under three with suspected autism spectrum disorder, thus implementing the recent guidelines established by the Directorate General for Health. The aim of this study is to describe this model and case series. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study of observed children with suspected ASD. They were observed according to the model of the Centro de Estudos do Bebé e da Criança and DC:0-5TM classification, between January 2018 and September 2019. RESULTS: The study included 178 children. The average age at the initial assessment was 27 months. From the total sample, 116 children concluded the diagnostic sessions (axis I): Autism Spectrum Disorder/Early Atypical (36%), Developmental Language Disorder (18%), Other (19%). Factors of axes II, III, IV and V of DC:0-5TM were determinant for clinical diagnosis in 26%. DISCUSSION: Of 116 children, 36% were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This highlights the diagnostic challenge posed by neurodevelopmental disorders in early infancy. The sample shows that the characteristics of the relationship with the caregiver (axis II), presence of physical conditions (axis III), psycho-social stressors (axis IV) and developmental trajectory (axis V) have a significant clinical impact. In the future, the initial assessment should take place well before the age of 27 months because of the impact on prognosis. CONCLUSION: This model is a pioneering approach in Portugal. It promotes a common approach of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Neuropediatrics/Developmental Pediatrics in early infancy. Moreover, it increases the diagnostic acuity of Autism Spectrum Disorders and early therapeutic intervention.
Introdução: O Centro de Estudos do Bebé e da Criança do Hospital Dona Estefânia desenvolveu um modelo multidisciplinar de atuação na suspeita de perturbação do espetro do autismo na primeira infância, aplicando a recente norma da Direção Geral da Saúde. Pretende-se descrever a sua apresentação e casuística.Material e Métodos: Estudo retrospetivo descritivo da série de crianças(< 3 anos), observadas por suspeita de perturbação do espetro do autismo, entre janeiro de 2018 e setembro de 2019, segundo este modelo e a classificação DC:0-5TM.Resultados: Foram observadas 178 crianças. A idade média da primeira consulta foi de 27 meses. Do total de crianças observadas, 116 concluíram as sessões diagnósticas (diagnóstico eixo I): perturbação do espetro do autismo/ perturbação do espetro do autismo atípica precoce (36%), perturbação do desenvolvimento da linguagem (18%), outros(19%). Em 26% dos casos, o quadro foi atribuído a fatores classificados em outros eixos.Discussão: O diagnóstico de perturbação do espetro do autismo foi colocado em 36%, demonstrando o desafio diagnóstico das perturbações do neurodesenvolvimento na primeira infância. A casuística demonstra ainda que as características da relação com o cuidador (eixo II), a presença de condições físicas (eixo III), fatores de stress psicossociais (eixo IV) e a trajetória de desenvolvimento (eixo V) têm um impacto clínico significativo. É desejável a antecipação da idade de sinalização pelo impacto no prognóstico.Conclusão: Este modelo é pioneiro em Portugal ao propor uma atuação conjunta de duas especialidades na primeira infância: pedopsiquiatria e neuropediatria/pediatria desenvolvimento. Este modelo de atuação melhora a acuidade diagnóstica e permite a intervenção terapêutica precoce.
