HPCSA Paediatrics Research Topics for Registrars – South Africa

Comprehensive list of paediatrics research topics designed specifically for HPCSA registrars in South Africa. These topics address common and high-impact paediatric health challenges including neonatal care, infectious diseases, HIV-exposed children, tuberculosis, malnutrition, asthma, emergency paediatrics, developmental disorders, and child health service delivery across district hospitals, regional hospitals, provincial hospitals, and tertiary academic centres.

Why These Paediatrics Research Topics Work for HPCSA Registrars

HPCSA paediatrics registrar research must be feasible within the 4-year training programme while addressing clinically relevant questions in South African child health practice. Each topic below has been selected for:

• Clinical relevance: Addresses real paediatric problems commonly seen in South African hospitals
• Feasibility: Achievable within neonatal units, paediatric wards, outpatient clinics, emergency departments, or HIV/TB clinics
• Ethical approval: Clear pathways for IRB submission, guardian consent, assent where applicable, and supervisor approval
• Publication potential: Suitable for South African Journal of Child Health, SAMJ, African Journal of Paediatric Surgery, or international paediatrics journals
• South African disease burden: Focuses on neonatal morbidity, HIV exposure, tuberculosis, malnutrition, pneumonia, diarrhoeal disease, asthma, trauma, and resource-appropriate paediatric care

Neonatology and Newborn Care Research Topics

Topic 1: Risk Factors for Neonatal Sepsis in a Tertiary Hospital NICU

Research Question: What maternal, perinatal, and neonatal factors are associated with early-onset and late-onset neonatal sepsis among babies admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit?

Study Design: Retrospective or prospective observational study

Setting: Tertiary hospital neonatal unit

Why This Works: Neonatal sepsis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in South Africa, data are available from NICU records and blood culture reports, outcomes such as mortality, duration of admission, antibiotic use, and organism profile can be measured, and the topic has strong relevance for infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.

Topic 2: Antibiotic Resistance Patterns in Neonatal Sepsis

Research Question: What are the common bacterial isolates and antimicrobial resistance patterns among neonates with culture-proven sepsis?

Study Design: Retrospective descriptive study

Setting: Neonatal unit and microbiology laboratory

Why This Works: Culture and sensitivity data are usually available, the study supports local antibiotic policy, resistance patterns are highly relevant in South African neonatal care, and findings can guide empirical antibiotic protocols in resource-limited settings.

Topic 3: Outcomes of Preterm Neonates Less Than 32 Weeks Gestation

Research Question: What are the short-term clinical outcomes of preterm neonates born before 32 weeks of gestation admitted to a tertiary neonatal unit?

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study

Setting: Tertiary hospital NICU

Why This Works: Prematurity is a major contributor to under-five mortality, outcomes such as survival, respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, intraventricular haemorrhage, and duration of admission can be studied, and the results can help evaluate neonatal service performance.

Topic 4: Kangaroo Mother Care and Weight Gain in Low Birth Weight Babies

Research Question: Does early initiation of kangaroo mother care improve weight gain and reduce hospital stay among low birth weight neonates?

Study Design: Prospective cohort study

Setting: District, regional, or tertiary hospital neonatal ward

Why This Works: Kangaroo mother care is highly relevant to South African neonatal practice, the intervention is low-cost and feasible, weight gain and duration of admission are easy to measure, and the study supports resource-appropriate newborn care.

Topic 5: Hypothermia at Admission Among Newborns

Research Question: What is the prevalence of hypothermia at neonatal unit admission and what factors are associated with it?

Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study

Setting: Neonatal admission unit or labour ward-linked neonatal service

Why This Works: Admission temperature is routinely recorded, hypothermia is preventable and associated with adverse neonatal outcomes, the study can identify gaps in transport, delivery room care, and thermal protection practices, making it ideal for quality improvement.

Topic 6: Neonatal Jaundice and Phototherapy Outcomes

Research Question: What are the clinical profile, risk factors, and treatment outcomes of neonates admitted with significant hyperbilirubinaemia?

Study Design: Retrospective descriptive study

Setting: Neonatal ward or NICU

Why This Works: Jaundice is a common neonatal condition, data on bilirubin levels, phototherapy, exchange transfusion, ABO/Rh incompatibility, sepsis, and outcomes are accessible, and the topic has direct clinical relevance for preventing kernicterus.

Topic 7: Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Preterm Neonates

Research Question: What are the predictors of poor outcome among preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome?

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study

Setting: Tertiary hospital neonatal unit

Why This Works: RDS is common in preterm infants, variables such as antenatal steroid exposure, surfactant use, CPAP, mechanical ventilation, birth weight, gestational age, and mortality can be analysed, and results may improve neonatal respiratory care protocols.

Topic 8: Breastfeeding Initiation in Sick Newborns

Research Question: What factors influence early initiation and continuation of breastfeeding among neonates admitted to a neonatal unit?

Study Design: Prospective observational or mixed-methods study

Setting: Neonatal ward or postnatal ward

Why This Works: Breastfeeding is central to child survival, data can be collected from mothers and clinical records, barriers such as prematurity, maternal illness, caesarean delivery, NICU admission, and counselling can be assessed, and the topic supports Baby-Friendly Hospital practices.

Topic 9: Readmission of Neonates After Hospital Discharge

Research Question: What are the common causes and risk factors for neonatal readmission within 28 days of discharge?

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study

Setting: District, regional, or tertiary hospital

Why This Works: Neonatal readmission is an important quality-of-care indicator, common causes include jaundice, feeding difficulty, sepsis, poor weight gain, and hypothermia, and the study can identify discharge counselling and follow-up gaps.

Topic 10: Mortality Audit of Neonatal Deaths in a South African Hospital

Research Question: What are the major causes and modifiable factors associated with neonatal mortality in a hospital neonatal unit?

Study Design: Retrospective mortality audit

Setting: Neonatal unit or perinatal mortality review system

Why This Works: Mortality data are often available through clinical records and audit meetings, the study aligns with quality improvement, identifies preventable factors, and has strong relevance for improving neonatal survival in South Africa.

Paediatric Infectious Diseases and HIV/TB Research Topics

Topic 11: Clinical Profile of Paediatric Tuberculosis

Research Question: What are the clinical, radiological, and microbiological characteristics of children diagnosed with tuberculosis in a South African hospital?

Study Design: Retrospective descriptive study

Setting: Paediatric TB clinic or inpatient paediatric ward

Why This Works: TB remains a major child health concern in South Africa, diagnosis is often challenging, data from clinical notes, chest radiographs, GeneXpert, culture, and treatment records can be analysed, and findings may improve local diagnostic pathways.

Topic 12: Outcomes of HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants

Research Question: What are the growth, morbidity, and hospitalisation outcomes among HIV-exposed uninfected infants during the first year of life?

Study Design: Prospective or retrospective cohort study

Setting: Paediatric HIV clinic or well-baby follow-up clinic

Why This Works: HIV-exposed uninfected children are an important population in South Africa, data on growth, feeding, infections, immunisation, and admissions can be collected, and the topic is highly relevant for PMTCT programme evaluation.

Topic 13: Severe Pneumonia in Children Under Five

Research Question: What clinical and laboratory factors predict poor outcomes in children under five admitted with severe pneumonia?

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study

Setting: District, regional, or tertiary paediatric ward

Why This Works: Pneumonia is a leading cause of paediatric admission and mortality, predictors such as age, malnutrition, HIV exposure, oxygen saturation, anaemia, and radiological findings can be studied, and results may improve triage and early referral.

Topic 14: Acute Diarrhoeal Disease and Dehydration in Children

Research Question: What are the clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of children admitted with acute diarrhoeal disease and dehydration?

Study Design: Retrospective descriptive or cohort study

Setting: Paediatric emergency department or inpatient ward

Why This Works: Diarrhoeal disease remains common in South African children, dehydration severity, electrolyte abnormalities, nutritional status, HIV exposure, and length of stay can be studied, and findings can inform prevention and rehydration protocols.

Topic 15: Meningitis in Children: Clinical Profile and Outcomes

Research Question: What are the clinical features, microbiological profile, and outcomes of children admitted with suspected or confirmed meningitis?

Study Design: Retrospective descriptive study

Setting: Tertiary hospital paediatric ward

Why This Works: Meningitis has high morbidity and mortality, CSF results and culture data are usually available, neurological complications can be assessed, and the topic supports early recognition and antimicrobial treatment strategies.

Topic 16: Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Children

Research Question: What are the clinical profile, treatment outcomes, and adverse drug reactions among children treated for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis?

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study

Setting: TB referral hospital or paediatric TB clinic

Why This Works: MDR-TB is highly relevant to South Africa, treatment duration and adverse effects can be evaluated, and data from TB registers and patient records can support policy-relevant paediatric TB research.

Topic 17: Febrile Seizures in Paediatric Emergency Care

Research Question: What are the clinical characteristics and recurrence risk factors among children presenting with febrile seizures?

Study Design: Retrospective or prospective observational study

Setting: Paediatric emergency department

Why This Works: Febrile seizures are common and anxiety-provoking, variables such as age, fever source, seizure duration, family history, recurrence, and investigations can be studied, and results may reduce unnecessary admissions and investigations.

Topic 18: Urinary Tract Infection in Children

Research Question: What are the bacterial isolates and antibiotic resistance patterns among children diagnosed with urinary tract infection?

Study Design: Retrospective laboratory-based study

Setting: Paediatric ward, outpatient clinic, and microbiology laboratory

Why This Works: Paediatric UTI is common, urine culture and sensitivity data are accessible, resistance trends can guide empirical antibiotic choices, and the study is feasible in almost any hospital setting.

Topic 19: Hospital-Acquired Infections in Paediatric Wards

Research Question: What is the prevalence and pattern of hospital-acquired infections among children admitted to paediatric wards?

Study Design: Prospective surveillance or retrospective cohort study

Setting: Paediatric inpatient ward or PICU

Why This Works: Hospital-acquired infection increases morbidity, cost, and length of stay, microbiology data and clinical outcomes can be analysed, and the study supports infection prevention and control programmes.

Topic 20: Immunisation Status Among Hospitalised Children

Research Question: What proportion of children admitted to hospital are incompletely immunised and what factors are associated with missed immunisation opportunities?

Study Design: Cross-sectional study

Setting: Paediatric ward or emergency department

Why This Works: Immunisation is a core child health intervention, Road-to-Health booklet data can be used, missed opportunities can be identified, and the topic has strong public health and paediatric relevance.

General Paediatrics, Nutrition, Respiratory and Emergency Research Topics

Topic 21: Severe Acute Malnutrition and Clinical Outcomes

Research Question: What factors predict mortality and prolonged hospital stay among children admitted with severe acute malnutrition?

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study

Setting: District, regional, or tertiary paediatric ward

Why This Works: Malnutrition remains a major paediatric problem, data on weight-for-height, oedema, HIV exposure, sepsis, diarrhoea, electrolyte imbalance, and mortality are usually available, and the topic supports improved inpatient nutrition protocols.

Topic 22: Anaemia Among Hospitalised Children

Research Question: What is the prevalence, severity, and associated factors of anaemia among children admitted to a paediatric ward?

Study Design: Cross-sectional or retrospective descriptive study

Setting: Paediatric inpatient ward

Why This Works: Anaemia is common in children and may be associated with malnutrition, infection, HIV, malaria in some regions, and chronic disease, haemoglobin data are routinely available, and the study is simple, practical, and clinically useful.

Topic 23: Paediatric Asthma Control and Hospital Admissions

Research Question: What factors are associated with poor asthma control and recurrent hospital admissions among children with asthma?

Study Design: Cross-sectional or retrospective cohort study

Setting: Paediatric outpatient clinic or emergency department

Why This Works: Asthma is a common chronic paediatric condition, inhaler technique, controller therapy, environmental triggers, adherence, and prior admissions can be assessed, and the study has direct relevance to outpatient paediatric care.

Topic 24: Acute Poisoning in Children

Research Question: What are the common agents, clinical profile, and outcomes of acute poisoning among children presenting to the emergency department?

Study Design: Retrospective descriptive study

Setting: Paediatric emergency department

Why This Works: Childhood poisoning is a preventable emergency, agents such as medications, household chemicals, paraffin, pesticides, and traditional medicines can be studied, and results may guide prevention and emergency management strategies.

Topic 25: Paediatric Trauma Admissions

Research Question: What are the patterns, mechanisms, and outcomes of trauma among children admitted to a South African hospital?

Study Design: Retrospective descriptive study

Setting: Emergency department, paediatric ward, or trauma unit

Why This Works: Trauma is a major child health burden in South Africa, mechanisms such as road traffic accidents, falls, burns, and interpersonal violence can be analysed, and the topic has prevention and policy relevance.

Topic 26: Burn Injuries in Children

Research Question: What are the epidemiological patterns, severity, and clinical outcomes of burn injuries among children admitted to hospital?

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study

Setting: Paediatric surgical ward, burns unit, or emergency department

Why This Works: Paediatric burns are common and preventable, burn mechanism, total body surface area, complications, length of stay, and mortality can be studied, and results can support household injury prevention programmes.

Topic 27: Developmental Delay Screening in High-Risk Children

Research Question: What is the prevalence of developmental delay among high-risk children attending paediatric follow-up clinics?

Study Design: Cross-sectional screening study

Setting: High-risk neonatal follow-up clinic or paediatric outpatient clinic

Why This Works: Developmental delay is often under-recognised, high-risk groups include preterm infants, low birth weight babies, HIV-exposed infants, and children with neonatal complications, and the study supports early intervention referral pathways.

Topic 28: Childhood Epilepsy: Clinical Profile and Treatment Adherence

Research Question: What are the clinical patterns, treatment adherence rates, and seizure control outcomes among children with epilepsy?

Study Design: Cross-sectional or retrospective observational study

Setting: Paediatric neurology clinic or general paediatric clinic

Why This Works: Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder, treatment adherence and seizure control are measurable, barriers to care can be assessed, and findings can improve chronic paediatric neurology services.

Topic 29: Paediatric Emergency Triage Accuracy

Research Question: How accurately does emergency triage identify critically ill children requiring urgent intervention?

Study Design: Retrospective or prospective observational study

Setting: Paediatric emergency department

Why This Works: Triage quality directly affects child survival, outcomes such as ICU admission, emergency intervention, mortality, and time to treatment can be correlated with triage category, and the study supports emergency care quality improvement.

Topic 30: Readmission Within 30 Days Among Paediatric Patients

Research Question: What are the causes and predictors of unplanned readmission within 30 days among children discharged from paediatric wards?

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study

Setting: District, regional, or tertiary paediatric ward

Why This Works: Readmission is an important quality-of-care indicator, causes such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, malnutrition, asthma, sepsis, and poor follow-up can be studied, and findings may improve discharge planning and outpatient continuity of care.

Getting Your HPCSA Research Protocol Generated

If you’ve selected a research topic from this list, the next step is developing a comprehensive research protocol that meets HPCSA requirements, gains supervisor approval, and successfully passes IRB review.

What a Complete Research Protocol Includes

• Title and Introduction: Clear research question and background
• Literature Review: Summary of current evidence with international journal references relevant to paediatrics and child health
• Methodology: Detailed study design, population, sampling, inclusion criteria, exclusion criteria, data collection procedures, and outcome measures
• Statistical Analysis: Sample size calculation, descriptive analysis, comparative statistics, regression analysis, survival analysis, or risk factor modelling where appropriate
• Ethical Considerations: IRB submission requirements, parental/guardian consent, assent where applicable, confidentiality, and protection of vulnerable children
• Timeline: Gantt chart with realistic milestones for 4-year registrar training
• Budget: Resource requirements and cost breakdown
• References: Vancouver or APA style citations

Journals for HPCSA Paediatrics Research

South African Journals

• South African Journal of Child Health – Leading national journal for child health and paediatrics research
• South African Medical Journal (SAMJ) – Accepts paediatric, public health, infectious disease, and clinical research
• African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine – Suitable for child health topics in district and primary care settings

International Journals

• Archives of Disease in Childhood – High-quality paediatrics and child health research
• Pediatrics – Leading international paediatric journal
• Journal of Tropical Pediatrics – Suitable for infectious disease, nutrition, and child health topics in LMIC settings
• BMC Pediatrics – Broad paediatrics research journal
• BMJ Paediatrics Open – Open-access paediatrics and child health research
• Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal – Infectious diseases, HIV, TB, pneumonia, and sepsis research
• Journal of Perinatology – Neonatal and perinatal research

HPCSA Paediatrics Registrar Research Requirements

All HPCSA paediatrics registrars must complete a research project during their 4-year specialist training programme. The research protocol should be developed early in training, approved by a supervisor, submitted for institutional ethics review before data collection, and aligned with clinically relevant child health priorities in South Africa.

Given South Africa’s child health priorities – including neonatal morbidity, prematurity, paediatric HIV exposure, tuberculosis, pneumonia, diarrhoeal disease, malnutrition, trauma, asthma, and developmental concerns – paediatrics research topics should be practical, ethically sound, and relevant to real-world paediatric service delivery while maintaining strong academic and methodological standards.