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Rostami Maskopaii S, Farnia S, Abaskhanian A, Kalantary A. Exploring the Conditions of Lost Individuals in Need of Care: A Review of Caregivers of Children With Special Needs (Shadow Nurses). J. Pediatr. Rev 2026; 14 (1) :53-62
URL: http://jpr.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-784-en.html

Background: Nowadays, caring for children with special conditions is one of the important areas of health and social welfare. Children with special needs, for reasons such as physical, mental, behavioral disorders, or chronic diseases, require specialized and comprehensive care. Parents, caregivers, other family members, home nurses, childminders, maternity assistants, and specialized educators, as shadow nurses, cover an important part of the vital, social, educational, and emotional needs of these children. Besides the children’s health, the health of these people also needs to be considered. 
Objectives: This study aims to highlight the crucial role of “shadow nurses” in enhancing the physical and psychological wellbeing of children with special needs and to offer recommendations to advance awareness and social support for this group within the nation’s healthcare and educational sectors.
Methods: This review followed the PRISMA framework and included studies identified through searches across multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, SID, Magiran, IranMedex, UpToDate, and Embase. The selection covered both Persian and English articles published between 2017 and 2025.
Results: The findings indicate that providing specialized care by shadow nurses has a very positive impact on the child’s overall health and treatment process. Shadow nurses, by providing specialized medical, psychological, and social support, enhance the child’s capabilities, improve disease management, and reduce the risk of complications. The most important shadow nurses are parents, who are the child’s closest, most important, and most influential people. 
Conclusions: Extensive support from shadow nurses, particularly parents, is crucial. As primary shadow nurses, parents provide physical and therapeutic care, offer essential emotional support, teach life skills, and foster a safe and nurturing environment. This all-encompassing support boosts the child’s confidence, aids psychological and social growth, and enhances overall health and quality of life. As the child’s quality of life improves, it positively affects the wellbeing of family members, especially parents.