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Photo of Katarina Svensson

Katarina Svensson

Postdoctoral researcher and physiotherapist, specialist in pediatrics. Conducts research at the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences and works clinically at H.K.H Kronprinsessan Victorias barn- och ungdomssjukhus in Linköping.

Looking Ahead: Early Interventions for Our Smallest Children

My research focuses on the neonatal risk group, meaning children who are born very prematurely or with other complications.

The aim of the research is to highlight motor-related questions, such as the early identification of motor impairments and the development of effective interventions that strengthen the child’s motor skills and promote long-term development and health.

Thanks to medical advances, more children survive a difficult start in life. At the same time, this brings an increased risk of affecting brain development. The first two years are particularly crucial for motor function, as children form the foundation for their future ability to move. We now know that it is possible to detect risks of atypical motor development during the first months of life. The challenge is to translate this knowledge into clinical practice and create evidence-based interventions that can be implemented early—when the brain is most adaptable.

My background as a physiotherapist, specialist in pediatrics, and with long clinical experience working with children and adolescents with disabilities has greatly shaped my research. My doctoral thesis focused on children with stroke and cerebral palsy, with a special emphasis on early detection and intervention. It also examined digital tools as a way to make interventions more efficient and to support child- and family-centered care.

Today, I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Unit for Young Survivors (YOSU), Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Child and Women’s Health, and I work clinically at H.K.H Kronprinsessan Victorias barn- och ungdomssjukhus in Linköping.

Publications

2024

Katarina Svensson (2024)
Katarina Svensson, Ann-Christin Eliasson, Heléne Sundelin, Kajsa Lidstrom Holmqvist (2024) Journal of Clinical Medicine, Vol. 13, Article 4864 (Article in journal)
Antti Juhani Kukka, Heléne Sundelin, Omkar Basnet, Prajwal Paudel, Kalpana Upadhyay Subedi, Katarina Svensson, Nick Brown, Helena Litorp, Rejina Gurung, Pratiksha Bhattarai, Johan Wrammert, K. C. Ashish (2024) BMJ Open, Vol. 14, Article e080063 (Article in journal)
Katarina Svensson, Helene Sundelin, Ann-Christin Eliasson (2024) Children, Vol. 11, Article 101 (Article in journal)

2022

Katarina Svensson, Anna Walås, Jenny Bolk, Peter Bang, Heléne Sundelin (2022) Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, Vol. 36, p. 412-421 (Article in journal)

Research group

Organisation