Child Developmental Screening in Southern Iran

Abstract

More than 200 million children in low-and middle-income countries suffer from developmental delays and / or debilities worldwide (1). Some risk factors associated with practical damage and mental developmental delay in infants and children in developing countries are as follows: Micronutrient deficiency, malnutrition, poor health and hygiene, and scarce care. Early detection of developmental problems is of importance to the wellbeing of young children and their parents. Therefore, it is essential to decrease the negative outcomes (2). The Ages and stages questionnaire (ASQ), which has largely been used in contemporary studies, is a developmental screening questionnaire designed to be completed by parents or primary caregivers of children. This questionnaire can detect those children who should be further evaluated to decide whether they are qualified for early intervention, or early childhood specific training. Sensitivity, specificity and reliability of this questionnaire (ASQ) have been reported to be 75.8%, 87.5%, and 94%, respectively (3). The ASQ is used for children aged 4-60 months, covering five various domains of communication, fine motor, problem solving, gross motor, and personal-social skills (1). In 2015, in a cross-sectional study in Hormozgan province (located in the extreme point of southern Iran) 23,494 twelve-month-old children were screened for development delay, using the ASQ. Among the participants, the ASQ was abnormal in 88 children. Moreover, 25% had a delay in communication domain, 29% in fine motor, 31% in problem solving, 35% in gross motor, and 26% in personal-social skills. The results revealed that 'delay in gross motor' and 'problem solving' were higher among all the domains. Gross motor development includes control and movement of large muscle groups such as the head, torso, arms, and legs. Gross motor skills are abilities that have been developed during early childhood, and they develop from top to bottom (4). The 'problem solving domain' includes child's knowledge and the ability to play with toys. However, these results should not be interpreted in isolation, and decisions should be made based on other factors and the overall function of children. A systematic review summarized the results of studies and provided the best evidence for judging (5). Therefore these studies can help to identify the effective factors on delay in gross motor and problem solving domains.

The relationship between maternal mental health and communication skills in children in Shiraz, Iran

“…In addition, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was used to evaluate MMH. This questionnaire included 28 questions (GHQ-28), and has been validated in Iran by previous studies [14,15]. This questionnaire is a psychiatric screening instrument for mental disorders designed by Goldberg & Hillier [16].…”

“…As a parent reporting tool, it presents a significant opportunity for parents to communicate about any concerns they have regarding their child’s development. The original ASQ has been proven to be reliable and valid with a total sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 86% in detecting developmental delays [19,20], and it has been validated in Iran [14,15].…”

“…The children’s past medical history was also considered since it could affect their development. The children were considered to have delayed communication skills if they were 2 standard deviations below the cut-off point provided by Yaghini et al [14] and Soltani et al [15].…”

Socioeconomic Status and Child Developmental Delay: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…The communication development status of children was assessed using the ages and stages questionnaire (ASQ) for 60-month-old children (12) validated in Iran (13,14). The children were interviewed by a trained nurse in the presence of their mothers in a private room.…”

“…The children's medical history was also obtained, considering its role in children's development. The children were considered to have a delay in any of the five skills if they were two standard deviations below the cutoff point mentioned by Yaghini et al 14, and Soltani et al (13). To make it more tangible, fine and gross motor skills were considered as motor domain and social and problem-solving skills as the cognitive domain.…”