Concerned with the potential impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on children with brain-based developmental disabilities, our network recently requested support from the SPOR Evidence Alliance to conduct a rapid review to better assess the risk of COVID-19 to children with brain-based developmental disabilities, or those at-risk of developing such diseases.
Our review aimed to answer the following three research questions:
Are children with brain-based developmental disabilities more likely to develop COVID-19?
Are children with brain-based developmental disabilities more likely to develop complications due to COVID-19? And,
Are children with brain-based developmental disabilities more likely to have a poorer prognosis once they develop COVID-19?
Our study highlights a knowledge gap regarding the impact of COVID-19 on children with brain-based disabilities, or those at-risk of developing them. There is an urgent need to gather data regarding this population in order to inform policy makers, decision makers, as well as families.
It appears as though this specific population has been overlooked.
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We wish to acknowledge and thank the panel of knowledge users from our network who contributed to this study including patient-partners, caregivers, clinicians, decision makers and researchers. They contributed to all steps of the project including developing the questions, doing literature searches, interpreting and drafting the results, and working to disseminating the findings.
Read about other CHILD-BRIGHT COVID-19 Initiatives:
My COVID Disability Q. , an online Q&A hub in partnership with CanChild and Kids Brain Health Network
and
CHILD-BRIGHT COVID-19 list of resources