DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY AND ITS EFFECTIVE FACTORS IN CHILDREN AGED 4 TO12 MONTHS

Abstract

Introduction: Over the past two decades, the incidence of cesarean section in most countries has increased.Developmental delay occurs when children do not reach their developmental milestones at the expected time. The main causes of developmental delay are often unknown. Investigation of the prevalence of developmental delay and its effective factors in children from 4 to 12 months old in Pakdasht County was the aim of this study. Methods: Material and Methods: InThis cross-sectional study was carried out among 210 children from 4 to 12 months old in Pakdasht County in 2014. For collecting the survey data, the Questionnaires of demographic and Ages and Stages (ASQ) have been used. Collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, χ2 test and independent t-test by SPSS18 software. Results: The scores on knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, and Enabling factors in the intervention group than the control group showed a significant difference. Results: The study participants in the study consisted 97 girl (46.2%) and 113 boy (53.8%). The average age of children was 7.96 ± 2.83 months. There were significant relations between developmental delay with child nutrition and the mother's education level (P <0.001). Conclusion: Design and implement curriculum based on BASNEF can be effective in reducing elective cesarean section. Conclusion: According to the findings, further studies are necessary to understand the factors influencing children's developmental delays.