Individual development of preschool children-prevalences and determinants of delays in Germany: a cross-sectional study in Southern Bavaria

Abstract

BackgroundEven minor abnormalities of early child development may have dramatic long term consequences. Accurate prevalence rates for a range of developmental impairments have been difficult to establish. Since related studies have used different methodological approaches, direct comparisons of the prevalence of developmental delays are difficult. The understanding of the key factors affecting child development, especially in preschool aged children remains limited. We used data from school entry examinations in Bavaria to measure the prevalence of developmental impairments in pre-school children beginning primary school in 1997–2009.MethodsThe developmental impairments of all school beginners in the district of Dingolfing- Landau, Bavaria were assessed using modified “Bavarian School Entry Model” examination from 1997 to 2009 (N=13,182). The children were assessed for motor, cognitive, language and psychosocial impairments using a standardised medical protocol. Prevalence rates of impairments in twelve domains of development were estimated. Using uni- and multivariable logistic regression models, association between selected factors and development delays were assessed.ResultsThe highest prevalence existed for impairments of pronunciation (13.8%) followed by fine motor impairments (12.2%), and impairments of memory and concentration (11.3%) and the lowest for impairments of rhythm of speech (3.1%). Younger children displayed more developmental delays. Male gender was strongly associated with all developmental impairments (highest risk for fine motor impairments = OR 3.22, 95% confidence interval 2.86-3.63). Preschool children with siblings (vs. children without any siblings) were at higher risk of having impairments in pronunciation (OR 1.31, 1.14-1.50). The influence of the non-German nationality was strong, with a maximum risk increase for the subareas of grammar and psychosocial development. Although children with non-German nationality had a reduced risk of disorders for the rhythm of speech and pronunciation, in all other 10 subareas their risk was increased.ConclusionsIn preschool children, most common were delays of pronunciation, memory and concentration. Age effects suggest that delays can spontaneously resolve, but providing support at school entry might be helpful. Boys and migrant children appear at high risk of developmental problems, which may warrant tailored intervention strategies.

Minor neurological dysfunction in children aged 5 to 7

“…Studies of other authors showed the prevalence of 24%-27% in children 6-11 years of age 4,8 . A higher prevalence of MND in our study could be explained by the age of the respondents as the deviations are more common in younger children, as indicated in studies by other authors 9 . A research conducted in Holland, also showed a significantly higher prevalence of MND in relation to the general population.…”

Gender and geographic differences in the prevalence of reportable childhood speech and language disability in Taiwan

“…With a wider age range, data from the 1995 Australian Health Survey on children aged 0-14 years also showed that boys had a higher prevalence of speech disorders (Keating et al, 2001). Furthermore, a study on 13,182 school beginners in Bavaria, Germany found boys had higher prevalence for all three types of speech impairments: 17.8% vs. 9.5% for pronunciation, 5.1% vs. 2.8% for grammar, and 4.1% vs. 2.0% for rhythm of speech (Stich, Baune, Caniato, Mikolajczyk, & Krä mer, 2012). While it is well documented that more boys than girls have SLD, the underlying mechanisms are unclear.…”

Clustering of developmental delays in Bavarian preschool children – a repeated cross-sectional survey over a period of 12 years

“…Prevalences of single developmental delays were subject to previous analyses in the same District of Bavaria [18,19]. …”