Psychomotor development screening of children from kindergarten units of Belém, Pará, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Child development is considered a sequence of changes in behaviour and underlying processes that are infl uenced by biological and environmental factors. The screening and monitoring of neuropsychomotor development (NPMD) procedures have been shown to be effective in the early identifi cation of different diseases in childhood. Objective: relate the condition of the NPMD in children aged 36-48 months attending Early Childhood Education Units (ECEU) in Belem, Para, Brazil to certain personal characteristics and variables of their ecological environment. Method: The following instruments were applied: Questionnaire of the biopsychosocial characteristics of the child, the Instrument for Measuring Urban Poverty Level, and fi nally, Developmental Screening Denver II Test. Result: The study revealed that of the 319 children evaluated, 77.74% had probable delays in development. The variables that were statistically significant were paternal education (0.000**), the child’s primary caregiver (0.039*) and pregnancy planning (0.007*). Regarding the instrument of measurement for the level of urban poverty, the scores ranged from 28 to 52 points, and showed a statistically significant relation with the outcome (0.003*). Conclusion: The high prevalence of probable developmental delays seen in children of the city’s ECEU showed the need to introduce early stimulation programs, encouraging the monitoring of child development through the screening, and, in addition, to alert for the issue of negative interference of socioeconomic factors related to family condition and city they reside in on child growth and development.