{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T14:12:38Z","timestamp":1788876758215,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":8,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778630400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778630400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Childs Nerv Syst"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VP) insertion is a common intervention in paediatric neurosurgery, and as outcomes for children with hydrocephalus improve, clinicians are increasingly asked to provide advice beyond the immediate postoperative period. Participation in sport is an important component of childhood development, yet there is limited evidence or consensus guidance to inform recommendations regarding contact sports for children with VP shunts. As a result, clinical advice is often based on individual experience rather that robust data.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A structured electronic questionnaire was distributed to members of the British Paediatric Neurosurgery Group (BPNG). Participants were asked about their experience of rugby related VP shunt complications, the levels of rugby participation they would permit at different ages and whether they would recommend the use of protective head gear.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Overall response rate of 42.8% was achieved (30 of 70 respondents). Only one respondent (3%) reported direct experience of rugby related shunt complication. All respondents would permit a 7-year-old with a VP shunt to participate in touch rugby. 80% would allow a 14-year-old to play contact rugby, and 77% would permit an 18-year-old to participate in professional or elite rugby. The use of a scrum cap was recommended by 77% of respondents.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Most paediatric neurosurgeons support return to rugby for children with VP shunts, commonly recommending protective headgear. These findings support the importance of providing informed, individualised guidance for resuming play.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s00381-026-07310-z","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T05:46:55Z","timestamp":1778651215000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Should children with a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt play rugby: a survey of UK and Ireland paediatric neurosurgeons"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"42","author":[{"given":"Isabel","family":"Key","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Lowes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paul","family":"Leach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"7310_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e314","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wneu.2019.08.167","volume":"132","author":"M Gmeiner","year":"2019","unstructured":"Gmeiner M, Wagner H, Schl\u00f6gl C, VAN Ouwerkerk WJR, Senker W, Sardi G, Rauch P, Holl K, Gruber A (2019) Adult outcome in shunted pediatric hydrocephalus: long-term functional, social, and neurocognitive results. World Neurosurg 132:e314\u2013e323","journal-title":"World Neurosurg"},{"key":"7310_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1479-5868-10-98","volume":"10","author":"RM Eime","year":"2013","unstructured":"Eime RM, Young JA, Harvey JT, Charity MJ, Payne WR (2013) A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 10:98","journal-title":"Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act"},{"key":"7310_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3171\/2021.7.PEDS21127","volume":"29","author":"A Stanuszek","year":"2022","unstructured":"Stanuszek A, B\u0119benek A, Milczarek O, Kwiatkowski S (2022) Return to play in children with shunted hydrocephalus. J Neurosurg Pediatr 29:1\u20139","journal-title":"J Neurosurg Pediatr"},{"key":"7310_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1190","DOI":"10.1227\/01.NEU.0000119236.08000.49","volume":"54","author":"JP Blount","year":"2004","unstructured":"Blount JP, Severson M, Atkins V, Tubbs RS, Smyth MD, Wellons JC, Grabb PA, Oakes WJ (2004) Sports and pediatric cerebrospinal fluid shunts: who can play? Neurosurgery 54:1190\u20131198","journal-title":"Neurosurgery"},{"key":"7310_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3171\/foc.2006.21.4.10","volume":"21","author":"VJ Miele","year":"2006","unstructured":"Miele VJ, Bailes JE, Martin NA (2006) Participation in contact or collision sports in athletes with epilepsy, genetic risk factors, structural brain lesions, or history of craniotomy. Neurosurg Focus 21:E9","journal-title":"Neurosurg Focus"},{"key":"7310_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2783","DOI":"10.1007\/s00381-020-04536-3","volume":"36","author":"M Zaben","year":"2020","unstructured":"Zaben M, Manivannan S, Petralia C, Bhatti I, Patel C, Leach P (2020) Patient advice regarding participation in sport in children with disorders of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation: a national survey of British paediatric neurosurgeons. Childs Nerv Syst 36:2783\u20132787","journal-title":"Childs Nerv Syst"},{"key":"7310_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1269","DOI":"10.1007\/s00701-016-2800-x","volume":"158","author":"D Shastin","year":"2016","unstructured":"Shastin D, Zaben M, Leach P (2016) Can patients with a CSF shunt SCUBA dive? Acta Neurochir (Wien) 158:1269\u20131272","journal-title":"Acta Neurochir (Wien)"},{"key":"7310_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wnsx.2024.100409","volume":"25","author":"JA Tracz","year":"2025","unstructured":"Tracz JA, Farmer ML, Hughes M, Mukherjee D, Brennan PM (2025) Return to play following craniotomy for non-traumatic brain lesions. World Neurosurg X 25:100409","journal-title":"World Neurosurg X"}],"container-title":["Child's Nervous System"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s00381-026-07310-z.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00381-026-07310-z","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s00381-026-07310-z.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T14:03:10Z","timestamp":1788876190000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s00381-026-07310-z"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]]},"references-count":8,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]}},"alternative-id":["7310"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00381-026-07310-z","relation":{},"ISSN":["1433-0350"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1433-0350","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]]},"assertion":[{"value":"6 March 2026","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"2 May 2026","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"13 May 2026","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","label":"Competing interests","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}}],"article-number":"215"}}