Cognitive, behavioural and educational outcomes in children with SB
Research type
Research Study
Full title
“Cognitive, behavioural and educational outcomes in children aged 5-11 years with spina bifida in Northern Ireland”
IRAS ID
228521
Contact name
Karen Casson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Ulster University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 9 days
Research summary
Spina bifida is a medical condition present at birth that occurs when the spinal cord and surrounding bones do not develop properly that affects the functioning of the central nervous system (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 2012). The children born with spina bifida not only remain at increased risk of requiring continuous operative medical treatments but also are at higher risk of having difficulties in a range of areas like cognitive and behavioural abilities, and educational performance in school than their typically developing peers (Liptak 2010; Liptak and El Samara 2010). The live birth prevalence of spina bifida in the UK was 0.16 per 1,000 births between the years 2005 - 2012. Northern Ireland had nearly a three times higher live birth prevalence than the rest of the United Kingdom in the same years (0.46 per 1,000 births) (Public Health Agency (PHA) 2015; EUROCAT 2015). The study will investigate the effect of spina bifida on cognitive, behavioural and educational development in 5-11 year-olds in Northern Ireland using a 1-1 matched case control study design. The study population are children born with spina bifida between 2006 and 2012 (now aged 5-11 years) to mothers who were residents of Northern Ireland at the time of birth and still live in Northern Ireland (cases) and typically developing children studying in the same class as children with spina bifida (controls). Children will be assessed by their parent/guardian at home and their teacher in schools using standard assessment forms to measure cognitive, behavioural and educational outcomes. Descriptive and inferential statistics and regression analysis techniques will be used for the analysis.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/SW/0004
Date of REC Opinion
19 Feb 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion