SCREENING THE TODDLERS BORN PRETERM FOR RISK OF NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DELAY

Abstract

The present study aimed at identifying the proportion of preterm toddlers at risk of NDD who attended a tertiary care hospital using a screening tool ASQ 3 and comparing the risk of NDD among moderate to late preterm, very preterm and extreme preterms. The present Materials and Method: study was conducted in the Paediatric OPD of a tertiary care hospital. The study calculated the risk of neurodevelopmental delay among toddlers born preterm using a validated Marathi-translated version of ASQ 3.The ASQ 3 was completed by parents, mainly the mothers. The study included 111 preterm toddlers with chronological ages ranging from 12 to 24 months, with a mean of 17.63 ± 3.73 months and a male-to-female ratio 0f 1.4 :1. The toddlers under the black zone are considered at high risk of NDD and referred to the Child Development and Guidance Clinic for further evaluation. Overall, 22 (19.8%) preterm toddlers failed ASQ, with single-domain failure Results: (63.63%) being the most common, followed by 2-domain (22.72%) failure. Among those 22, more than two third (77.2%) failed in the gross motor domain, followed by 31.8% in ne motor, 22.7% in personal-social, and 13.63% each in communication and problem-solving. Additionally, 39 (35.13%) toddlers were in the grey zone, with 25.64% in ne motor, 20.51% each in the domain of communication, problem-solving and personal-social and 12.82 % in the gross motor domain. A decrease in gestational age was associated with a statistically signicant increase in the risk of NDD. the multivariate analysis identied the chronological age of ≤ 18 months, being underweight and receipt of mechanical ventilation during the neonatal period as independent risk factors for being at risk of NDD. ASQ is a reliable screening tool that can be e Conclusion: asily used in pediatric ofce practice