Abstract
This study aimed to analyze the neuropsychomotor performance of children by implementing the Denver Developmental Screening Test-II (DDST-II). We evaluated a sample of 318 children aged 36 to 48 months. Results indicated that girls performed better in three of the four areas analyzed in the test: Personal-Social (p < 0.001), Fine Motor-adaptive (p = 0.020) and Language (p = 0.028). No significant difference was observed between genders in the Gross Motor skills area. Analyzing the performance of children in implementing the tasks expected in the test, we found significant differences in the following items: in the Personal-Social area, the worst-performing item was "Brushes teeth without help"; in the Fine Motor area, the worst-performing item was "shows the longest line"; in the Language area, the worst-performing items were "Knows two adjectives", "Knows four actions" and "Understands four prepositions"; and in the Gross Motor area, the worst-performing item was "Hops on one foot". The results suggest that socially-imposed standards, based on gender differences, may interfere with the neuropsychomotor behavior of children. Furthermore, knowing such development profile is crucial in the formulation of public policies and actions that can contribute to child development.
Highlights
Understanding the process of human development has been a worldwide concern, among countries with low economic growth and high levels of social inequality
Neuropsychomotor Development (NPMD) is associated with maturation of the central nervous system (CNS) and comprises four broad fields: Gross Motor, Fine Motor (Adaptive), Social and Linguistic
This work aimed to analyze the neuropsychomotor development of children enrolled in Child Education Units (UEI) of the public network of the municipality of Belém, in the North region of the country, based on their performance in Denver Developmental Screening Test-II (DDST-II), and to establish a hypothesis of the relationship between these results and the gender variable of the child, as well as identify the items of the test in which these children obtained more failures
Summary
Understanding the process of human development has been a worldwide concern, among countries with low economic growth and high levels of social inequality. Studies in lowand middle-income countries emphasized the importance of intervention in the first years of life as a primary factor to improve the neurodevelopment of children[1]. The Neuropsychomotor Development (NPMD) is an essential parameter of evaluation in the early years of life, allowing researchers and professionals to detect early changes. NPMD is associated with maturation of the central nervous system (CNS) and comprises four broad fields: Gross Motor, Fine Motor (Adaptive), Social and Linguistic. The skills that underpin each field come in sequence: the most straightforward skills serve as the basis for the most complex, and it is essential to understand and distinguish them. Each has its growth rate and is expected not to deviate drastically from the pattern observed for its age, among other established criteria[2]
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