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Families (n = 12) with infants born at <29 weeks gestation shared their experiences while in the NICU and transitioning home. Parents were interviewed 6–8 weeks after NICU discharge, including some during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings regarding the parent experience in the NICU were focused around challenges navigating parent-infant separation, social isolation, communication difficulties, limited knowledge of preterm infants, mental health challenges. Parents also discussed supports that were present and supports they wished were present, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on their experiences. In the transition to home, primary experiences included the sudden nature of the transition, anxiety around discharge preparation, and the loss of the support from nursing staff. During the first few weeks at home, parents expressed joy and anxiety, particularly around feeding. The COVID-19 pandemic limited emotional, informational, and physical support to parents and resulted in limited mutual support from other parents of infants in the NICU. Parents of preterm infants in the NICU present with multiple stressors, rendering attending to parental mental health crucial. NICU staff need to address logistical barriers and familial priorities impacting communication and parent-infant bonding. Providing multiple opportunities for communication, participating in caretaking activities, and meeting other families can be important sources of support and knowledge for parents of very preterm infants.

How could I apply this information?" With high obesity rates among children and adolescents who are Hispanic in the United States, 1,2 limited availability of physical fitness data leads to challenges identifying adolescents who may be at risk of obesity-related impairments. This study highlighted important disparities in physical fitness among adolescents who are Hispanic and overweight or obese. The results call physical therapists to intensify efforts in screening adolescents for fitness-related health issues. This is additionally important because of the health disparities and limited access to fitness resources experienced as part of the COVID-19 pandemic. 3 When designing interventions, fitness norms could serve as talking points to assist with personalized goal setting. Physical therapists could identify tailored, accessible, and evidence-based interventions that can be implemented in many practice settings to address obesity-related fitness impairments. Physical therapists in schools could advocate for increased participation in fitness programs for adolescents who are Hispanic and overweight or obese. "What should I be mindful about when applying this information?"Obesity is a complex issue with many societal, interpersonal, and mental health ramifications. 4 While this study provides relevant data on fitness for adolescents who are Hispanic, sharing information with adolescents without considering the complex factors underlying obesity could limit the effectiveness of treatment. For example adolescents who are female and Hispanic participate at a lower rate in coed sporting events, placing them at a fitness disadvantage. These gender differences may be related to the masculine environment prevalent in sports, the cultural bias against female adolescents who are Hispanic and their sports participation, or the time constraints of greater female domestic expectations. 5 This study also describes the fitness profiles of a sample of adolescents who are overweight or obese from one geographic region. These findings might not reflect fitness characteristics of youth who are Hispanic in other settings or parts of the United States and should be applied as appropriate.

Therapies for children with cerebral palsy (CP) often fail to address essential components of early rehabilitation: intensity, child initiation, and an embodied approach. Sitting Together And Reaching To Play (START-Play) addresses these issues while incorporating intensive family involvement to maximize therapeutic dosage. While START-Play was developed and tested on children aged 7–16 months with motor delays, the theoretical construct can be applied to intervention in children of broader ages and skills levels. This study quantifies the impact of a broader START-Play intervention combined with Botulinum toxin-A (BoNT-A) and phenol on the developmental trajectory of a 24 month-old child with bilateral spastic CP. In this AB +1 study, A consisted of multiple baseline assessments with the Gross Motor Function Measure-66 and the Assessment of Problem Solving in Play. The research participant demonstrated a stable baseline during A and changes in response to the combination of BoNT-A/phenol and 12 START-Play sessions during B, surpassing the minimal clinically important difference on the Gross Motor Function Measure-66. The follow-up data point (+1) was completed after a second round of BoNT-A/phenol injections. While the findings suggest the participant improved his gross motor skills with BoNT-A/phenol and START-Play, further research is needed to generalize these findings.