Developmental delay at 12 months in children born extremely preterm

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility and validity of a structured telephone interview to assess the development of children born extremely preterm. Methods: The parents of 88 children born with a gestational age below 28 wk admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, were interviewed by telephone when their child was 1 y of age, corrected for preterm birth. A fully structured questionnaire on psychomotor function was used (Revised Prescreening Developmental Questionnaire (R‐PDQ)). The parents of 30 children born at term without complications were interviewed for comparison. The interview was conducted by NICU staff. To validate the R‐PDQ, parents of 22 children in the preterm group and parents of 19 children in the reference group conducted an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) when their children had reached the age of 3–3 y. Results: The R‐PDQ was easy to use by staff and well accepted by parents. The mean score in the preterm group was 14.9 ± 3.9 vs 17.7 ± 2.7 in the term group (p < 0.001). Three children had developmental scores below ‐2 SD. The R‐PDQ score was associated with the ASQ score 2 y later. Conclusion: A structured questionnaire administrated by telephone is an alternative and usable tool for assessing neuro‐developmental deficit in children born extremely preterm. The mean developmental delay in the preterm group compared to the term group (about‐1 SD) was close to expectations.

A validation study of the Norwegian version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires

“…Four age‐related forms are available. Parents found the Revised Pre‐screening Developmental Questionnaire (R‐PDQ) interesting and easy to complete, whilst healthcare professionals found it economical and easy to interpret (3). In the case of abnormal results, it is recommended that a re‐evaluation be performed 1 month later.…”

Comparative use of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires in the USA and Scandinavia: a systematic review

“…Norway had five norming and/or validation studies that used the older ASQ‐2 . One Danish translation ASQ:SE‐2 psychometric study and two Danish ASQ‐2 psychometric studies were identified. One Swedish ASQ:SE validation study was identified.…”

“…Results for Scandinavian children with concerning screens from the ASQ/ASQ:SE were quite inconsistent compared with US studies where, at a minimum, children were routinely referred to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act EI/ECSE programmes (which are available in every county of every state). These Scandinavian children often had no clearly described follow‐up plan, or they received further assessment (typically with a psychologist or medical subspecialist) based on individualized research protocols . The literature also collectively indicates different follow‐up procedures in different regional municipalities throughout Denmark, Norway, and Sweden .…”

Doxapram and developmental delay at 12 months in children born extremely preterm

“…The answers “no” or “do not know” gave zero points. The questionnaire was filled in during a telephone interview by NICU staff: AL, or nurses trained by attending an interview with AL [3].…”

“…The mean score was 14.9 ± 3.9. Regression analysis showed that the scores increased by 1.21±0.28 per month ( p < 0.001) [3]. The age‐adjusted R‐PDQ score had a significant negative skew due to three preterm children scoring below — 2 standard deviations.…”