Friday, July 03, 2009

Importance Of Developmental Screening Tool For Identifying Delays In Pre-term Children Shown

photo of test developers
Ryerson University Professor Hollie Hix-Small (left) and Dr. Kevin Marks, PeaceHealth Medical Group.
(Credit: PeaceHealth Medical Group)

ScienceDaily (July 1, 2009) — A new study finds that U.S. pediatricians have plenty of room for improvement when it comes to using a screening questionnaire to flag developmental delays in premature children.

The study was a collaboration between physicians at PeaceHealth Medical Group, led by pediatrician Dr. Kevin Marks, lead author, and co-author Professor Hollie Hix-Small, of Ryerson University’s School of Child and Youth Care, formerly of the Early Intervention Program at the University of Oregon. The study was published in the June issue of Pediatrics.

In the study, a group of 1,427 caregivers and children in the U.S. attending their 12- or 24-month well-child visits (regular screening for developmental delays by pediatricians) completed the Ages & Stages Questionnaire® (ASQ), a child development screening tool.

The study examined the number of lower-risk, pre-term (most who were born between 34 and 37 weeks gestational age) children versus the number of term children who were referred to an early-intervention agency. Higher-risk premature infants already involved with an early-intervention agency or previously identified with a delay were excluded.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.


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