Screening For Developmental Delay Research Articles

Strengths and limitations of the worm development and activity test (wDAT) as a chemical screening tool for developmental hazards

The worm Development and Activity Test (wDAT) measures C. elegans developmental milestone acquisition timing and stage-specific spontaneous locomotor activity (SLA). Previously, the wDAT identified developmental delays and SLA level changes in C. elegans with mammalian developmental toxicants arsenic, lead, and mercury. 5-fluorouracil (5FU), cyclophosphamide (CP), hydroxyurea (HU), and ribavirin (RV) are teratogens that also induce growth retardation in developing mammals. In at least some studies on each of these chemicals, fetal weight reductions were seen at mammalian exposures below those that had teratogenic effects, suggesting that screening for developmental delay in a small alternative whole-animal model could act as a general toxicity endpoint to identify chemicals for further testing for more specific adverse developmental outcomes. Consistent with mammalian developmental effects, 5FU, HU, and RV were associated with developmental delays with the wDAT. Exposures associated with developmental delay induced hypoactivity with 5FU and HU, but slight hyperactivity with RV. CP is a prodrug that requires bioactivation by cytochrome P450s for both therapeutic and toxic effects. CP tests as a false negative in several in vitro assays, and it was also a false negative with the wDAT. These results suggest that the wDAT has the potential to identify some developmental toxicants, and that a positive wDAT result with an unknown may warrant further testing in mammals. Further assessment with larger panels of positive and negative controls will help qualify the applicability and utility of this C. elegans wDAT assay within toxicity test batteries or weight of evidence approaches for developmental toxicity assessment.

Cognitive, emotional, communicative, and motor development in children born from couple’s gametes cryopreserved oocytes. A 20 years single-center experience

ObjectiveTo study if social and emotional, communicative, cognitive, motor development of children born from cryopreserved oocytes are comparable to general population. DesignSurvey study. ExposureThis is a single-center population study, focusing on all children born from cycles of in vitro fertilization of cryopreserved oocytes at Humanitas Fertility Center from January 1st,2003, until December 31st, 2021. Main outcome measuresGeneral information about birth history were collected from all parents. Then, screening for developmental delay was performed by administration of a questionnaire, edited according to milestones set for age by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Primary outcomes included the percentage of children, for each age range, that reached related milestones. In children younger than 6 years of age, milestones were considered to be reached by each age-based population subgroup studied when ≥ 75 % of included children expressed the tested competences. ResultsA total of 355 live births fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the study. Results showed that each age-based population subgroup, younger than 6 years of age, scored ≥ 75 % in all the milestones included in the questionnaire.In preadolescents and adolescents, it was noted a decrease in unstructured in-person socializing. Indeed, milestones that scored the lowest values, based on parents’ judgement, included tasks concerning peer-to-peer interaction (72.31%) and sexuality and sentimental relationships (63.08%). ConclusionsResults indicated that the achievement of emotional, communicative, cognitive, and motor milestones in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers was comparable to the general pediatric population. Similarly, emotional wellbeing and social engagement in school-aged children, preadolescents, and adolescents were in line with their peers.

Neurodevelopment at age 5.5 years according to Ages & Stages Questionnaire at 2 years’ corrected age in children born preterm: the EPIPAGE-2 cohort study

ObjectiveTo report neurodevelopment at age 5.5 years according to developmental delay screening with the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) in late infancy in preterm-born children.DesignPopulation-based cohort study, EPIPAGE-2.SettingFrance, 2011–2017.Participants2504 children...

Screening for developmental delay in urban Rwandan children: a cross sectional study

BackgroundSystematic or targeted screening for developmental delay (DD) is critical to the early identification of developmental disabilities. With limited available information for urban Rwandan children, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of DD and associated risk factors in infants aged 9 to 16 months living in the urban Rwandan city of Kigali.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Rwanda from August to November 2019. A convenience sample of 376 Rwandan parents/caregivers and their children attending urban health centers for their routine immunization visits at 9 and 15 months of age was studied. Parents/caregivers completed the official Kinyarwandan version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) and established cutoffs were used to identify DD. Frequency and percentages were used to summarise the data. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with DD.ResultsOf the 358 children screened using the ASQ-3, the overall prevalence of DD was 24.6%, with a 27.2% prevalence among 9–10-month old children and 22.4% prevalence among 15–16-month old children. Delays in the combined group among the domains of gross motor, communication, fine motor, personal social, and problem solving were 12.8%, 2.5%, 8.4%, 1.7% and 7.5%, respectively. Gestational age at delivery and district of origin were most highly associated with DD, with preterm children at significantly higher risk of having DD compared to term children (Adjusted Odd Ratio AOR = 8.3; 95% CI = 2.5–27.4) and children from Nyarugenge District at high risk of DD compared to children from Gasabo district (AOR = 2.15; 95% CI = 1.2–3.9).ConclusionsThe prevalence of ASQ-detectable DD among urban Rwandan children between 9 and 16 months of age was 24.6%, with a high correlation to a history of prematurity and district of origin. This study demonstrates the need for thoughtful health planning regarding integrated developmental surveillance for children, particularly those at high risk, to allow for earlier identification and intervention in the urban area of Kigali, Rwanda.

National screening for developmental delays and their determinants among Egyptian school age children: A step towards implementing life skills programs.

This study aimed to estimate the national prevalence of developmental delays (DDs) and their determinants among Egyptian children aged 6 to 12 years. Such estimation is a prerequisite step toward the application of Life Skill Education (LSE) programs that will potentiate children's future capabilities. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales" was used as a reliable and diagnostic test for DDs screening during this national cross sectional study. Gross motor (GM), fine motor (FM), daily living skills, communication, and socialization skills were assessed. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with DDs. The Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval was estimated to indicate the strength of association. A p-value of <0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Out of the 20324 surveyed school-aged children, 7.4% were found to have at least one delay. Communication deficits were the most common (6.4%) followed by delay in daily living skills (2.0%). The final model of logistic regression had a good fit for seven variables out of the sociodemographic, epidemiological characteristics, maternal and perinatal problems that were associated with a higher likelihood of at least one DD: Children suffering from any convulsions (AOR = 4.32; 95% CI: 3.18-5.88), male gender (AOR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.65-2.09), birth weight less than 2.5 kg (AOR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.40-2.24), history of maternal health problem during pregnancy (AOR = 1.64; 95% CI:1.34-2.01), children staying in an incubator for more than two days (AOR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.29-1.91), having less educated fathers (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.24-1.95) and belonging to the middle social class (AOR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.24-1.58). The identified types and determinants for each DD are allowing for the implementation of tailored programs for school children's life skills promotion for achieving the most sustainable effects on children's biological and psychological health and well-being.

Screening of Early Developmental Delay and Its Risk Factors Among Children Seeking Health Care in India-exploring Missed Opportunities

Background and Objectives: Early years are considered to be critical for a child’s development. Lower middle-income countries report developmental delays late, resulting in limited access to early intervention and rehabilitation services. The opportunity to screen children during immunization and regular outpatient department (OPD) clinics is missed. To estimate the proportion of developmental delay and its risk factors among children under two years of age. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 169 children attending outpatient department (OPD) and immunization clinics of five health centers in Bengaluru City, India. A standardized developmental delay screening tool was used to screen for developmental delay among children under 2 years of age. After receiving informed written consent, a pretested questionnaire was administered, including the child’s socio-demographic details and risk factors responsible for the developmental delay. Proportions were calculated. The relationship between risk factors and developmental delay was assessed using a chi-square test. The odds ratio and adjusted odds ratio were calculated. Results: A total of 59 children (34.9%) were from rural primary health care (PHC), 79(46.7%) from urban primary health care (PHC), and 31(18.3%) from the hospital. A total of 111(65.7%) of them were females, mean age was 10.6±5.5 months. Developmental delay was reported among 30 children (17.8%). Developmental delay was significantly higher among children younger than 12 months of age and those screened in immunization clinics than compared to the other counterparts. Conclusion: The proportion of developmental delay and risk factors for developmental delay is high among children seeking health care. It is required to implement mandatory monitoring and opportunistic screening during immunization sessions to effectively identify developmental delays early in children.

Developmental assessment of infants with congenital heart disease: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundRecently, marked improvement of medical and surgical care for infants with congenital heart disease led to a growing population with a high risk of developmental delay. We aimed to identify developmental delay in these infants and its risk factors. So, we performed a cross-sectional study on 100 infants with congenital heart disease to assess their development by using Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale. We searched for risk factors for developmental delay in these infants. Correlations were conducted between the degree of developmental delay and the potential risk factors. To our knowledge, this study has not been conducted in developing countries before.ResultsThe median age of the study group is 12.5 months, but it is equivalent to 9.5 months by using Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale. There was a statistically significant developmental delay in infants who had risk factors such as prematurity, history of neonatal intensive care unit admission, anemia, stunted growth, underweight, central cyanosis, or abnormal electroencephalographic.ConclusionsDevelopmental delay is a common complication in infants with congenital heart disease. It has many risk factors; some of them could be modifiable as anemia, stunted growth, and underweight. Thus, early screening for developmental delay and its risk factors is of a great value. This could help in applying preventive measures and early intervention programs. Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale is a reliable tool in determination of developmental delay in infants with congenital heart disease.

Survey of Well-Being of Young Children (SWYC): Preliminary Norms for Screening for Developmental Delay in Brazilian Children Younger than 65 Months.

The objective of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Developmental Milestones Questionnaire of the Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children Brazilian version (DM-SWYC-BR) and establish the preliminary norms to identify suspected developmental delay in Brazilian children up to 65 months. A psychometric study was conducted on 1535 children from 3 Brazilian regions. The caregivers answered the Brazilian Portuguese cross-culturally adapted version of the DM-SWYC. We calculated the internal consistency and performed an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The clinical threshold for the suspected developmental delay was set at 85% from the DM-SWYC-BR mean score for each age. The prevalence of suspected delay was calculated using current preliminary cutoffs and original norms. EFA confirmed the unidimensionality of the DM-SWYC-BR items (average variance extracted = 0.78). Cronbach's alpha was 0.97. At most ages, the difference between the cutoff points in the Brazilian and North American samples was lower than or equal to 2 points, except at 18, 23, 29, 44, 45, 46, and from 54 to 58 months. There was a marked divergence in the prevalence of suspected developmental delay by age ranges using the Brazilian or North American cutoff points. However, the general mean prevalence was quite similar (27.5% vs. 28.2%, respectively). We established the cutoff points to interpret the DM-SWYC-BR results when screening for developmental delays in Brazilian children. The satisfactory psychometric properties support its use for screening developmental delays in the public health system. Reliable assessment tools are critical to promoting child development effectively, ensuring timely intervention.

Screening for Developmental Delays in Children 2-36 Months of Age in a Primary Health Care Center in Cairo, Egypt

Screening for Developmental Delays in Children 2-36 Months of Age in a Primary Health Care Center in Cairo, Egypt

Indonesian Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) as Developmental Screening Tool for 0-3 Years Old Children

Background: Child development is an individualized, dynamic, and complex process. Screening for developmental delays in children is challenging. Parents have important roles in recognizing developmental delays in children, hence parent-completed questionnaire is a feasible option to screen for any developmental delays. The objective of this study is to analyze the items of Indonesian PEDS in 0-3 years old children as a screening tool for their development and behavior. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in Surabaya from August to September 2020. The questionnaire was distributed to mothers whose children were 0-3 years old. The item discrimination analysis was grouped into 0-17 months and 18-36 months. A point-biserial correlation test was carried out with a minimum significant correlation coefficient was 0.3 and a p-value &lt;0.05. Results: A total of 92 mothers were enrolled in this study. Forty mothers were included in the 0-17 months group and 52 mothers in the 18-36 months group. There were four significant aspects of child development in the 0–17-month group, yet only expressive language and articulation had a strong correlation coefficient. While in the 18–36-month group, global/cognitive and social-emotional had a strong correlation coefficient. The other aspects had a correlation coefficient of &gt; 0.3 (p&lt;0.05) in both groups. Conclusion: The Indonesian PEDS is a potential developmental screening tool for Indonesian children aged 0-3 years old.

Validation of the Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener Among HIV-Exposed Infants in Rural South Africa.

Screening for developmental delays during critical periods of infant development is essential for early detection and intervention. Among high-risk infants in resource-limited settings, including those who are HIV exposed, there is a greater need for screening. This study expanded on previous analyses of the Bayley Infant Neurodevelopmental Screener (BINS) by providing psychometric properties to evaluate the appropriateness of using the BINS in a sample of HIV-exposed infants in rural South Africa. A total of 160 mothers with HIV, their infants, and their male partners were recruited. The BINS was administered to the infants, and their weights were recorded. Mothers completed measures of depression, intimate partner violence, male involvement, and adherence. Male partners reported their own involvement in perinatal care. Results demonstrated support for a 5-factor structure consistent with previous transcultural adaptations of the BINS, demonstrating construct validity, and adequate reliability. Convergent validity was partially supported, as shown by associations with intimate partner violence and male involvement as reported by men and women and maternal adherence, although not with birth weight or maternal depression. The BINS showed adequate discriminating power, with only a few low-performing items. In rural South Africa, a resource-limited setting, the BINS seems to be an adequate screening tool for developmental delays in children that may be used to identify those in need of intervention. Considering the high prevalence of delays identified in this study, antiretroviral therapy-exposed and HIV-exposed infants may benefit from further assessment to determine a need for intervention in community-based clinics.

Comparison of Trivandrum developmental screening charts against the standard Denver development screening test in children between 0-3 years

Background: To compare of DDST II and TDSC in the age group of 0-3 years and to assess developmental delay at various age groups using TDSC. Methods: 400 children were tested in their performance in the two tests since birth till 3 year of and their results were compared.Results: TDSC has sensitivity of 66.66% and specificity of 98.93% in screening for developmental delays. Positive predictive value for TDSC came out to be 100.00% and Negative predictive value for TDSC came out to be 97.20 %. Prevalence rate of developmental delay was 11.25%.Conclusions: Denver II test was concluded to be more sensitive test and TDSC as a more specific test.

Adaptive Behavioral, Social-Emotional, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 2 Years of Age in Hungarian Preterm Infants Based on Bayley III

ABSTRACT Aim This study aimed to assess cognitive, language, and motor development as well as social-emotional and adaptive behavior skills of low birthweight (LBW) children. Methods Our cohort contained 305 two-year-old LBW children. Developmental functioning was assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Edition. Results Performance in language, particularly in expressive communication was the poorest. Extremely low birthweight (ELBW) children were found to be at increased risk of developmental delay: 12.73 times in motor (95%CI = 2.8–57.5), 9.81 times in cognitive (95%CI = 3.2–29.6) and 3.91 times in language (95%CI = 1.6–9.4), and social-emotional skills (95%CI = 1.6–9.5). Parents of children with lower birthweight reported poorer social and practical adaptive skills. Self-care domain seemed to be the least developed. Conclusion Additionally, the screening for developmental delays, monitoring the adaptive behavior skills may also be useful – especially among ELBW children – in order to identify the specific areas, situations, and functions that are most in need of interventions. Abbreviations AB: Adaptive Behavior; ABAS-II: Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-II; BPD: Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia; BSID-III: Bayley Scales of Infant Development 3rd Edition; BW: Birthweight; CI: Confidence Interval; CS: Composite Score; ELBW: Extremely Low Birthweight; GA: Gestational Age; IVF: In Vitro Fertilization; IVH: Intraventricular Hemorrhage; LBW: Low Birthweight; NEC: Necrotizing Enterocolitis; OR: Odds Ratio; ROP: Retinopathy of Prematurity; SE: Social-Emotional Development; VLBW: Very Low Birthweight

Understanding Mississippi’s Current Practices Concerning Autism Screening at 18 & 24 Months

ABSTRACT Best practice recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics support routine screening for developmental delays in early childhood, specifically at 18 and 24 months for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). During this critical developmental period, early identification and intervention are associated with best outcomes for ASD. Pediatricians perform a critical role in the early recognition of ASD, which can co-exist with other disorders further complicating the diagnosis. However, little is known about the current screening practices in Mississippi. This study provides a unique view of Mississippi pediatricians’ perspectives of barriers to routine ASD screening. The intent of this phenomenology study was to better understand current practices and potential barriers, for performing ASD screening at the 18 and 24 month well child visits, as perceived by a sample of Mississippi’s pediatric providers. Data collected through key informant interviews were coded to identify commonalities and patterns in responses and aided in the identification of current practices and perceived barriers through qualitative analysis. Although there was increasing implementation of ASD screening by health care providers, routine screening was not consistently conducted. The results suggest a need for a screening tool embedded in the electronic health record for easy access and monitoring. Findings replicated prior studies and endorsed the relevance of barriers that exist in screening Mississippi’s youngest population. Mississippi children are at risk of delayed ASD diagnosis if modifications cannot be made to support the clinical environment for pediatricians. Abbreviations AAP: American Academy of Pediatrics; ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder; EHR: Electronic Health Record; M-CHAT-R/F: Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up; CAY: Center for Advancement of Youth; ABA: Applied Behavior Analysis

Developmental and behavioral problems in preschool-aged primary ciliary dyskinesia patients.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) causes a broad spectrum of disease. This study aims to explore the developmental, behavioral, and social-emotional aspects of preschool-aged children with PCD. Fourteen PCD, 17 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and 15 healthy subjects were enrolled. Developmental features of the participants were evaluated with Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Parents of participants filled out the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The number of children screened positive for developmental delay was statistically higher in the PCD group. Higher numbers of children with PCD were screened positive for developmental delay in communication and problem-solving domains. Delay in fine motor skill domain was more common in children with PCD and CF compared to healthy subjects. There was no difference among the three groups in terms of gross motor and personal-social development. None of the children in all three groups was shown to have social-emotional problems. In CBCL, patients with CF had higher internalizing problem scores. Externalizing and total problem scores did not differ between the three groups. However, among PCD patients, children with developmental delay on more than one domain had higher externalizing and total problem scores.Conclusion: The current study revealed that positive screening for developmental delay is more common in preschool-aged PCD patients compared to patients with CF and healthy children. What is Known: • Intelligence scores of school-aged PCD patients are similar to healthy subjects despite their higher internalizing problem scores on Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). • School-aged PCD patients exhibit higher hyperactivity and inattention findings. What is New: • Positive screening for developmental delay in communication, problem-solving and fine motor skills is more common in preschool-aged PCD patients. • Preschool-aged PCD patients screened positive for developmental delay in more than one domain have higher externalizing and total problem scores on CBCL.

Development, Psychometric Validation, and Feasibility of the Gitwe Developmental Delay Screening Tool (gddst), a Low-tech, Culturally Contextualized Tool to Assess Developmental Milestones of Children under-5 in Rural Rwanda

Development, Psychometric Validation, and Feasibility of the Gitwe Developmental Delay Screening Tool (gddst), a Low-tech, Culturally Contextualized Tool to Assess Developmental Milestones of Children under-5 in Rural Rwanda

Developmental surveillance of young children in clinical settings: Time to step out or step up?

See related article at [www.cmajopen.ca/lookup/doi/10.9778/cmajo.20140121][1] In 2015, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care recommended against screening for developmental delay using standardized tools in children aged one to four years who have no apparent signs of developmental

A Smart Toy to Enhance the Decision-Making Process at Children's Psychomotor Delay Screenings: A Pilot Study.

BackgroundEDUCERE (“Ubiquitous Detection Ecosystem to Care and Early Stimulation for Children with Developmental Disorders”) is an ecosystem for ubiquitous detection, care, and early stimulation of children with developmental disorders. The objectives of this Spanish government-funded research and development project are to investigate, develop, and evaluate innovative solutions to detect changes in psychomotor development through the natural interaction of children with toys and everyday objects, and perform stimulation and early attention activities in real environments such as home and school. Thirty multidisciplinary professionals and three nursery schools worked in the EDUCERE project between 2014 and 2017 and they obtained satisfactory results. Related to EDUCERE, we found studies based on providing networks of connected smart objects and the interaction between toys and social networks.ObjectiveThis research includes the design, implementation, and validation of an EDUCERE smart toy aimed to automatically detect delays in psychomotor development. The results from initial tests led to enhancing the effectiveness of the original design and deployment. The smart toy, based on stackable cubes, has a data collector module and a smart system for detection of developmental delays, called the EDUCERE developmental delay screening system (DDSS).MethodsThe pilot study involved 65 toddlers aged between 23 and 37 months (mean=29.02, SD 3.81) who built a tower with five stackable cubes, designed by following the EDUCERE smart toy model. As toddlers made the tower, sensors in the cubes sent data to a collector module through a wireless connection. All trials were video-recorded for further analysis by child development experts. After watching the videos, experts scored the performance of the trials to compare and fine-tune the interpretation of the data automatically gathered by the toy-embedded sensors.ResultsJudges were highly reliable in an interrater agreement analysis (intraclass correlation 0.961, 95% CI 0.937-0.967), suggesting that the process was successful to separate different levels of performance. A factor analysis of collected data showed that three factors, trembling, speed, and accuracy, accounted for 76.79% of the total variance, but only two of them were predictors of performance in a regression analysis: accuracy (P=.001) and speed (P=.002). The other factor, trembling (P=.79), did not have a significant effect on this dependent variable.ConclusionsThe EDUCERE DDSS is ready to use the regression equation obtained for the dependent variable “performance” as an algorithm for the automatic detection of psychomotor developmental delays. The results of the factor analysis are valuable to simplify the design of the smart toy by taking into account only the significant variables in the collector module. The fine-tuning of the toy process module will be carried out by following the specifications resulting from the analysis of the data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the product.

Screening for developmental delay in preschool-aged children using parent-completed Ages and Stages Questionnaires: additional insights into child development

BackgroundDevelopmental delay is a delay in areas of speech, language, motor, social and cognitive development. Because of the negative impact of intellectual and learning disabilities, early identification of children with...

Components of a Tool for Early Detection of Developmental Delays in Preterm Infants: An Integrative Literature Review

This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge about the early detection of developmental delays. Such early detection can influence early interventions, contributing to improved short and long-term developmental outcomes of preterm infants with subsequent improved quality of life and decreased burden of illnesses. No existing screening tool for early detection of developmental delays in preterm infants was available for use in resource-restricted settings. The components to be included in such a screening tool were identified and described by conducting an integrated literature review, comprising the phases: preparing a research question, searching and sampling literature, critical appraisal, data extraction and synthesis, results and presentation. Eleven components were identified for inclusion in a developmental delay screening tool for premature infants, to be used by healthcare professionals with limited skills and experience in resource-restricted setting.