Prevalence and Factors Associated with Developmental Delays among Preschool Children in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Developmental delays (DDs) are increasing in prevalence and necessitate routine screening of young children for early recognition and management. Objective(s):To estimate the prevalence of DDs among pre-school children and determine the risk factors associated with DDs in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved a total of 948 children at the ages 36, 48, and 60 months. Data were collected using a modified Arabic version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) to assess five domains of development (Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Language and Communication, Problem-Solving and Adaptive Behavior, and Personal and Social Performance). Parents' characteristics and risk factors related to DDs were included. The p-value was set at 0.05. Results: Overall prevalence of children with DDs was 16.4%. The most prevailing DDs were the communication, problem solving, and personal/social skills (5.6%, 5.5% & 4.6% respectively). Lower rates of DDs were identified for fine motor, and gross motor milestones (1.9%, and 1.5% respectively). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that artificial/complementary feeding before 6 months of age, narrow spacing between children (<3 years), preterm delivery, number of household children (>3), and lower level of maternal education were the most determining risk factors associated with DDs (OR=3.378; p=0.001, OR=2.554, p=0.018, OR=2.451; p=0.004, OR=2.074; p=0.037, and OR=1.832; p=0.016, respectively). Conclusion: The study recognized a high prevalence of DDs especially for communication, problem solving, and personal/social skills. It spotted a number of modifiable risk factors, and recommended early screening of preschool children for prompt recognition and timely intervention.

Effects of Nutritional Status on Neurodevelopment of Children Aged Under Five Years in East Gojjam, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021: A Community-Based Study

“…On the other hand, the present study finding is relatively higher than a previous local study 10 conducted in the southern parts of Ethiopia, which reported a 19% overall prevalence. Similarly, the finding of present study is higher than previous studies by Agarwal et al, 2018 17 (12.2%), Shatla and Goweda, 2020 18 (16.4%), Sharma et al, 2019 19 (16.2%) and Gunardi et al, 2019 20 (10%). The variability of findings may be attributed to differences in sample size, socioeconomic status, nutritional status, health conditions and the methods implemented.…”

“…In the current study, maternal educational status has no significant association with childhood developmental delay, in agreement with a previous study. 48 In contrast, other previous studies 18 , 20 , 49 found significant association between maternal educational status and developmental delay among under-five children. Lastly, the present study found insignificant association between paternal educational status and developmental delay of under-five children in line with a previous study.…”

“…In the current study there was no significant association between child’s sex and developmental delay, which is in line with previous studies. 44–47 On the contrary, other previous studies 18 , 22 , 27 found significant association between child’s sex and developmental delay among under-five children. In the current study, maternal educational status has no significant association with childhood developmental delay, in agreement with a previous study.…”

“…Relatively higher communication skill problems (5.6%), lower personal social skill problems (4.6%) and almost approaching problem-solving difficulties (5.5%) findings were reported by a previous study elsewhere. 18 In fact, a higher magnitude of communication skill problems (24.5%) was reported by a previous study conducted in the eastern provinces of Saudi Arabia. 22 On the other hand, relatively higher fine motor difficulties and much lower personal social and communication domain delay were reported by a study in Iran.…”

The Ability of Saudi Parents’ To Detect Early Language Delay in Their Children: A Study in Primary Health Care Centers, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“…Our study aimed to assess parents’ ability to detect language delay early, as it is a prevalent issue in Saudi Arabia [ 10 ]. A 2020 study found that a delay in communication skills was one of the most prevalent developmental delays in Saudi Arabian preschool children [ 14 ]. The very first few years of a child’s life are very important for language development.…”