Hospitalisation: A Good Opportunity to Detect Developmental Difficulty in Children

摘要

This study aimed to determine children at risk of developmental difficulty by using a developmentalmonitoring tool during their hospital stay. The development of 113 hospitalised children aged 2-42 monthswas evaluated by using expressive and receptive language, fine and gross motor, social-emotional andrelational functions, play, and self-help skills areas of the Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD).There were 49 (42.4%) children with developmental difficulties. Developmental difficulty was found in72.9% of the children of mothers who expressed a concern (p<0.001). Developmental difficulties weresignificantly more common in children of mothers without regular prenatal follow-up(p<0.001), with low educational level (p<0.001), and who had previously suffered stillbirth (p<0.013);and in children with a birth weight below 2500 g (p<0.002), and with consanguineous parents (p<0.007).The hospitalisation period is a good opportunity to identify children at risk of developmental problemsand refer them for further assessment and early intervention.