JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Improving pediatric and adolescent health outcomes and empowering and educating parents.
Editor-in-Chief:
Sherif Badawy, MD, MS, MBA, Associate Professor of Pediatrics; Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Illinois, United States
Impact Factor 2.3 CiteScore 4.5
Recent Articles

The trove of information contained in child maltreatment narratives represents an opportunity to strengthen the evidence base for policy reform in this area, yet it remains underutilized by researchers and policy makers. Current research into child maltreatment often involves the use of qualitative methodologies or structured survey data that are either too broad or not representative, thereby limiting the development of effective policy responses and intervention strategies. Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches such as large language models (LLMs – AI models that understand and generate language) can analyze large volumes of child maltreatment narratives by extracting population-level insights on factors of interest such as mental health and treatment needs. However, when applying such methods, it is useful to have a framework on which to base approaches to the data. We propose a seven step framework: (i) data governance; (ii) researcher vetting; (iii) data de-identification; (iv) data access; (v) feasibility testing of baseline methods; (vi) large scale implementation of black box algorithms; and (vii) domain expert result validation, for such exercises to ensure careful execution and limit the risk of privacy and security breaches, bias and unreliable conclusions.

Childhood obesity remains a significant global public health issue, with consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) recognized in scientific studies as a key contributing factor. While family influences on children’s dietary behaviors and their effects on obesity risk are well-documented, the dynamics between parents and children in shaping SSB consumption remain underexplored.

Throughout years of research, the well-known behavioral parent training program, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), has been adapted and enhanced to tailor the treatment to the needs of families in community-based clinical care. This study wished to evaluate an add-on to PCIT that could be engaging for parents. As a way to enlarge practice opportunity and potentially allow parents to achieve positive treatment effects sooner, this study added virtual reality (VR) to PCIT.

Caregivers of children living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) face multiple challenges that significantly impact their mental health and quality of life. The well-being of caregivers directly affects the management of the child’s condition. The Adhera ® Caring Digital Program (ACDP) is a comprehensive, digitally delivered program designed to support family caregivers in enhancing self-management and well-being. This study aims to assess how the ACDP® influences caregivers' mood, emotional well-being, and health-related quality of life within the context of T1D.

Mothers of sick and preterm infants need support to establish and maintain lactation. Although many health technologies on breastfeeding are available, most of them are not appropriate to educate mothers due to their lack in evidence-based information. Furthermore, they do not focus the special situation of mother-infant separation during lactation in mothers of sick or preterm infants.

Evidence identifies that excessive screen time consumption during the crucial stage of life (0-3 years) significantly affects children's cognitive, linguistic, emotional development over time. In today's intricate socio-economic setting, parents, especially working parents face challenges in constantly supervising their children's activities, often turning to smartphones and other digital devices as a suitable substitute to keep them occupied. To address these issues, an mHealth application can emerge as a feasible solution to help parents manage digital habits for their infants while minimizing the harmful effects.

Parents of disabled children face many challenges when providing care, along with persistent worry and fear about the child health outcome and the impact of the child disability on their lives. Parents of disabled children experience stressful situation and face many emotions one of which is chronic sorrow. Therefore, the Theory of chronic sorrow was introduced to examine and measure feelings of chronic sorrow among parents. Little attention has been made to examine Saudi parents with disabled child and the utilization of chronic sorrow theory in this population.

Healthcare chatbots can be used to support patients and their families with everyday decision-making. While there is some research on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into paediatric care, no study has focused on the opportunity of implementing a generative AI (genAI) chatbot for paediatric rheumatology. Paediatric Rheumatology conditions require intense family input, which can often leave families struggling to navigate disease flares, pain, fatigue, medication side effects and adherence and support of their child, often when paediatric rheumatology departments are shut. Understanding how we can support families better, without the need for increased personnel, will have implications for the healthcare systems.

In the digital age, adolescents increasingly rely on online sources for health-related information. eHealth literacy—defined as the ability to find, evaluate, and apply online health information—plays a crucial role in health outcomes. However, limited research exists on eHealth literacy among Japanese high school students, particularly on its association with menstrual health and psychological well-being.

We evaluated a pilot mobile health (mHealth) intervention aimed at improving postnatal maternal and infant health. The intervention featured provider-led group sessions for education, healthcare communication, in-person care referrals, and virtual mHealth support for postpartum mothers through weekly calls, texts, interactive voice response (IVR), and a phone application.

Caregivers of children with mental health challenges are at heightened risk for burnout and absenteeism. This strain affects both their well-being and work performance, contributing to widespread workplace issues. Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are increasingly used to support pediatric mental health, but their impact on caregiver outcomes remains underexplored.

The increasing prevalence of information and communication technologies has made health-related information and social support more accessible on the web. However, limited evidence exists on how eHealth and social support affect the well-being of employed women who also serve as caregivers in Japan.
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