The Level of Parental Awareness of Children's Developmental Milestones

Abstract

Background: Milestones pertain to the customary progression of a child's development within a specific age range. The development of children exhibits significant diversity across different countries, resulting in a lack of fixed milestones tied to certain ages and instead displaying a normal range of variability. The objective of this study was to assess the level of parental awareness regarding children's developmental milestones in the region of Al-Ahsa, located in Saudi Arabia. The study employed a cross-sectional design and took place from January to March 2022. A pre-designed and validated questionnaire was utilized to collect data from parents residing in Al-Ahsa who were over 18 years of age and had at least one kid between the ages of birth and 14 years. A total of 372 parents participated in the study, with data collection facilitated using local virtual and social media platforms. Result: Among the surveyed parents, a majority of 71% accurately indicated the average age at which children generally commence crawling, while 62.9% provided an accurate response regarding the average age at which children typically begin walking. In the study, it was shown that a higher proportion of moms (9.7%) exhibited an excellent degree of understanding of milestones, as opposed to fathers (3.2%) (P = 0.048). The primary sources of information utilized in this study consisted of internet sites, parents/relatives, and pediatricians or general practitioners, with percentages of 81.4%, 81.4%, and 68.3% respectively. Conclusion: The parental understanding of children's growth milestones was limited. It is imperative for healthcare providers to prioritize the dissemination of precise information regarding child development to parents through educational interventions conducted during routine visits.