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Two experiments examined the development of the ability to encode, maintain, and update integrated representations of occluded objects' locations and featural identities in working memory across toddlerhood. Sixty‐eight 28‐ to 40‐month‐old US toddlers (13 Asian or Pacific Islander, 6 Black, 48 White, 1 multiracial; 40 girls; tested between February 2015 and July 2017) tracked the locations of different color beads that were hidden simultaneously (Experiment 1) or sequentially (Experiment 2). Toddlers' ability to reliably store feature‐location bound object representations in working memory varied as a function of age, memory load, and task demands. These results bridge a developmental gap between infancy and early childhood and provide new insights into sources of limitation and developmental change in children's early object representational capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: To verify the relationship between sleep characteristics and motor development in low-birth-weight preterm infants during infancy and preschool years. Method: Forty-one healthy preterm infants (<37 weeks' gestation) with low birth weight (≤1500 g) were assessed longitudinally at three different time points: at 6 months of corrected age, at 12 months of corrected age, and at 4-5 years of chronological age. At 6 and 12 months, motor development was assessed using the Denver Developmental Screening Test II and Alberta Infant Motor Scale, while sleep-related habits and disturbances were assessed using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire. At 4-5 years, motor development was reassessed using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory and sleep was reassessed using the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children. Correlations were performed using sleep quality as the predictor variable and motor development as the outcome variable. Results: Most infants had suspected delay/atypical development at 6 and 12 months, with no difference between the scales (p = 1.000). Suspected delay/atypical development were associated with lateral sleep position (p = 0.004), greater number of nighttime awakenings (p = 0.008), and longer awake periods (p = 0.014) only at 6 months. At 4-5 years, the suspected delay/atypical development observed at 6 and 12 months disappeared. Conclusions: Sleep quality correlated with delayed/atypical motor development in healthy preterm infants with low birth weight only at 6 months of corrected age, which did not appear to affect later development of motor skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For preventive interventions in school mental health to be effective, it is essential to have valid and reliable screening instruments that can detect students in need of more support. In order to do this, the present study is aimed at assessing the psychometric properties of the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation, an interview for teachers that measures school adjustment difficulties. The study evaluated 10,287 adolescents participating in a Chilean public program for improving mental health in schools. Of the total sample, 5,815 (56.5%) students were in 6th grade and were 12.91 years old on average (SD = 1.391). Exploratory factor analyses were used to identify four dimensions (behavioral, learning, social, and autonomyrelated difficulties), which were tested using structural equations. Reliability analyses show that all factors have high levels of internal consistency and differ according to age, grade, and extreme poverty. The article discusses the results obtained, their implications, and the importance of performing screening in schools through rigorously assessed psychometric instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jornal de Pediatria is the property of Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Executive function (EF) plays a foundational role in development. A brain-based model of EF development is probed for the experiences that strengthen EF in the dimensional change card sort task in which children sort cards by one rule and then are asked to switch to another. Three-year-olds perseverate on the first rule, failing the task, whereas 4-year-olds pass. Three predictions of the model are tested to help 3-year-olds (N = 54) pass. Experiment 1 shows that experience with shapes and the label "shape" helps children. Experiment 2 shows that experience with colors-without a label-helps children. Experiment 3 shows that experience with colors induces dimensional attention. The implications of this work for early intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are children with developmental coordination disorders (DCD) more dependent on vision for constructing movements than children without DCD? How important is visual feedback of the hand and how important is visual specification of the goal in this respect? These questions were studied in 10 children with DCD, 3 girls and 7 boys, ranging in age between 7 and 16 years. Each child was matched against a child of the same sex and age without DCD. The task was to pick beads, one at a time, from one cup and carry them to another cup. With the aid of a mirror arrangement and a curtain, visual information about the performing hand and the cups and beads was manipulated. The movements were monitored with an optoelectronic device (SELSPOT II). The results showed that the children with DCD made movements that were both slower and much more variable than those of their age-matched peers. The withdrawal of visual information affected both groups of children in similar ways. However, one boy with developmental disorders revealed a remarkable decrease in performance when the task was carried out without visual information of either the hand or the cups and beads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A new global caregiver-reported measure of early childhood development is proposed. • Analyses from 17 countries show adequate acceptability, reliability, and validity. • The new tool correlates positively with direct assessments of early development. • Scores vary by country, maternal education, child nutrition, and home stimulation. • The measure allows for population monitoring of early developmental wellbeing. Abstract Despite global interest in supporting and monitoring early childhood development (ECD), few valid and reliable tools exist for capturing ECD at scale across cultural contexts. This study describes the development and validation of the Caregiver Reported Early Development Instruments (CREDI) short form, a new tool for measuring the motor, cognitive, language, social–emotional, and mental health skills of children under age three in culturally diverse settings. Results from 8022 children living in 17 low-, middle-, and high-income countries suggest that the CREDI short form is valid, reliable, and acceptable for measuring population-level ECD. Data highlight differences in CREDI scores within and across countries based on maternal education, child nutritional status, and household stimulation practices. Implications for ECD policy and practice are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we describe ways to measure variables of interest when evaluating the implementation of a program to improve early childhood development (ECD). The variables apply to programs delivered to parents in group sessions and home or clinic visits, as well as in early group care for children. Measurements for four categories of variables are included: training and assessment of delivery agents and supervisors; program features such as quality of delivery, reach, and dosage; recipients’ acceptance and enactment; and stakeholders’ engagement. Quantitative and qualitative methods are described, along with when measures might be taken throughout the processes of planning, preparing, and implementing. A few standard measures are available, along with others that researchers can select and modify according to their goals. Descriptions of measures include who might collect the information, from whom, and when, along with how information might be analyzed and findings used. By converging on a set of common methods to measure implementation variables, investigators can work toward improving programs, identifying gaps that impede the scalability and sustainability of programs, and, over time, ascertain program features that lead to successful outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate paediatricians' expectations and perspectives of genetic testing for children with developmental disorders.Methods: Paediatricians working in a developmental clinic were surveyed each time they ordered a chromosomal microarray (CMA) for a child with developmental disorders. Clinical charts were reviewed. Results were analysed using mixed methodology.Results: Ninety-seven % (73/76) of surveys were completed. Paediatricians reported that 36% of parents had difficulties understanding genetic testing and that 40% seemed anxious. The majority expected testing to have positive impacts on children/families. The themes raised were (i) clarifying the diagnosis (56%), (ii) understanding the aetiology of the condition (55%), (iii) enabling prenatal diagnosis/counselling (43%), (iv) improving medical care for the child (15%) and (v) decreasing parental guilt/anxiety (8%). Less than half anticipated negative impacts; 74% expected that the most helpful result for their patient would be an abnormal result explaining the disorder. Among the 73 children for whom CMA was ordered, 81% got tested: 66% of the results were normal, 19% were abnormal and contributed to explain the condition and 12% were abnormal but of unknown significance.Conclusion: Paediatricians generally expect many positive and less negative impacts of genetic testing for children with developmental disorders. Parental perspectives are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of independent prehension marks the beginning of infants’ direct interaction with the physical world. The success infants have in contacting objects with their hands and arms can have both visual and auditory consequences; objects may move and collide with other objects or fall onto table surfaces. Seeing and hearing these events could have important consequences for infants’ learning about objects and their subsequent behavior toward objects. The current research assessed the effects of brief object manipulation experiences and how a specific characteristic of training, auditory feedback produced by hard plastic toys colliding with a tabletop surface, affects pre-reaching infants’ subsequent object exploration. In Experiment 1, infants participated in either active “sticky” mittens training or passive “nonsticky” mittens training with a set of toys; before and after this experience, infants explored a teether. Results showed that infants participating in active training increased looking toward and sustained touching of the teether from pre- to post-training, whereas infants receiving passive training decreased their looking toward and touching of the teether following training. To investigate whether infants’ exploration behaviors were related to the amount of auditory feedback produced by the objects during training, in Experiment 2 data were collected from infants who received active sticky mittens training that had either more or less auditory feedback potential. Results showed more robust increases in infants’ exploratory activity from pre- to post-training in the more auditory feedback condition compared with infants’ exploratory activity in the less auditory feedback condition. These findings support the idea that active control of objects, including experiencing contingent feedback through multiple sensory modalities, promotes the development of object exploration during early infancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a systemic review and meta-analysis which found that it is moderately probable that there is no severe developmental delay if a child aged 12 to 60 months passes the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) in all domains. It describes the criteria used to choose the studies included in the review. It explains the thresholds used to define failure on the ASQ scores, as well as the likelihood ratios applied to rule in or rule out developmental delay.

Background: As care for preterm and low birth weight (LBW) infants improves in resource-limited settings, more infants are surviving the neonatal period. Preterm and (LBW) infants are at high-risk of nutritional and medical comorbidities, yet little is known about their developmental outcomes in low-income countries. This study evaluated the health, nutritional, and developmental status of preterm/LBW children at ages 1-3 years in Rwanda.Methods: Cross-sectional study of preterm/LBW infants discharged between October 2011 and October 2013 from a hospital neonatal unit in rural Rwanda. Gestational age and birth weight were gathered from hospital records to classify small for gestational age (SGA) at birth and prematurity. Children were located in the community for household assessments in November-December 2014. Caregivers reported demographics, health status, and child development using locally-adapted Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3). Anthropometrics were measured. Bivariate associations with continuous ASQ-3 scores were conducted using Wilcoxon Rank Sum and Kruskal Wallis tests.Results: Of 158 eligible preterm/LBW children discharged from the neonatal unit, 86 (54.4%) were alive and located for follow-up. Median birth weight was 1650 grams, median gestational age was 33 weeks, and 50.5% were SGA at birth. At the time of household interviews, median age was 22.5 months, 46.5% of children had feeding difficulties and 39.5% reported signs of anemia. 78.3% of children were stunted and 8.8% wasted. 67.4% had abnormal developmental screening. Feeding difficulties (p = 0.008), anemia symptoms (p = 0.040), microcephaly (p = 0.004), stunting (p = 0.034), SGA (p = 0.023), very LBW (p = 0.043), lower caregiver education (p = 0.001), and more children in the household (p = 0.016) were associated with lower ASQ-3 scores.Conclusions: High levels of health, growth, and developmental abnormalities were seen in preterm/LBW children at age 1-3 years. As we achieve necessary gains in newborn survival in resource-limited settings, follow-up and early intervention services are critical for ensuring high-risk children reach their developmental potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of the Korean Developmental Screening Test (K-DST) for infants and children for developmental delay assessment. Methods: This study was based on retrospective studies of the results of the K-DST, Preschool Receptive-Expressive Language Scale (PRES), Sequenced Language Scale for Infants (SELSI), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), electroencephalography, magnetic resonance imaging, and extensive tests conducted in 209 of 1,403 patients, of whom 758 underwent the K-DST at the Korea University Guro Hospital between January 2015 and December 2016 and 645 were referred from local clinics between January 2015 and June 2016. Results: Based on the K-DST results, the male children significantly more frequently required further or follow-up examination than the female children in most test sections, except for gross motor. The male children had notably lower mean scores than the female children. The PRES/SELSI results showed that when more further or follow-up evaluations were required in the K-DST communication section, significantly more problems in language delay or disorder emerged. When further or follow-up evaluation was required in the cognitive section in the CARS/M-CHAT, the possibility of autism increased significantly. A child tended to score low in the CARS test and show autism when further or follow-up evaluation was recommended in the K-DST. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the usefulness of the K-DST as a screening test early in the development of infants and children in Korea. Data of normal control groups should be examined to determine the accuracy of this investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Developmental delay is a delay in areas of speech, language, motor, social and cognitive development. Because of the negative impact of intellectual and learning disabilities, early identification of children with developmental and behavioral problems using appropriate screening tests is crucial.Objectives: Utilization of parent-completed Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQs) for detecting the developmental delay in preschool age children and clarification of possible associated risk factors.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1012 children aged 24-60 months enrolled from six centers (n=608) and six villages (n=404) located in Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. All children were screened by nine age-based questionnaires in the first stage of assessment. Children whose scores were ≤ cut-off points in one or more of the screened developmental areas were considered to have suspected developmental delay (SDD) and underwent further evaluation in the second stage assessment.Results: Among the 1012 studied children aged 24-60 months, 978 (96.4%) had normal development. SDD had an overall prevalence of 3.4%, with the highest rates of SDD in problem-solving (3%), followed by communication (2.4%), fine motor skills (2.2%) and social-personal domain (1%), with no SDD in gross motor skills. SDD was more commonly observed in boys, with a significant association with both parental education and consanguinity. Problems with learning (32.3%) was the most commonly observed provisional diagnosis, followed by language disorders (29.4%). Children with SDD in more than one area of ASQ skills also had mild to borderline IQ scores.Conclusion: The use of of parent-completed ASQs showed an overall prevalence of developmental delay in children aged 24-60 months of3.4%. Male gender, consanguinity and parental education were identified as risk factors for developmental delay. Family counselling about the child's developmental state is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children show unique features concerning chemical hazards and risks, due to different exposure scenarios, age-related metabolic capacity and biological susceptibility linked to post-natal development. Chemical Regulatory frameworks state the need of children risk characterization. Current testing guidelines covering post-natal development are not routinely required by regulatory applications other than pesticides and biocides. Juvenile toxicity studies are foreseen for paediatric drugs: the toxicological repeated-dose tests don’t allow accurate evaluations of effects upon direct exposure of immature organism. The paper discusses a testing approach aimed to address regulatory requirements of chemical hazard identification/characterization in a children-specific perspective. Juvenile toxicity test could be performed primarily on chemicals that may have relevant modes of action and/or age-related toxicokinetic differences and/or lead to important children exposure. This could be pursued by updating existing guidelines/test protocols with triggers for endpoints relevant to juvenile toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodevelopmental outcome after prematurity is crucial. The aim was to compare two amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) classifications (Hellström-Westas (HW), Burdjalov) for outcome prediction. We recruited 65 infants ≤32 weeks gestational age with aEEG recordings within the first 72 h of life and Bayley testing at 24 months corrected age or death. Statistical analyses were performed for each 24 h section to determine whether very immature/depressed or mature/developed patterns predict survival/neurological outcome and to find predictors for mental development index (MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI) at 24 months corrected age. On day 2, deceased infants showed no cycling in 80% (HW, p = 0.0140) and 100% (Burdjalov, p = 0.0041). The Burdjalov total score significantly differed between groups on day 2 (p = 0.0284) and the adapted Burdjalov total score on day 2 (p = 0.0183) and day 3 (p = 0.0472). Cycling on day 3 (HW; p = 0.0059) and background on day 3 (HW; p = 0.0212) are independent predictors for MDI (p = 0.0016) whereas no independent predictor for PDI was found (multiple regression analyses).Conclusion: Cycling in both classifications is a valuable tool to assess chance of survival. The classification by HW is also associated with long-term mental outcome. What is Known: •Neurodevelopmental outcome after preterm birth remains one of the major concerns in neonatology. •aEEG is used to measure brain activity and brain maturation in preterm infants. What is New: •The two common aEEG classifications and scoring systems described by Hellström-Westas and Burdjalov are valuable tools to predict neurodevelopmental outcome when performed within the first 72 h of life. •Both aEEG classifications are useful to predict chance of survival. The classification by Hellström-Westas can also predict long-term outcome at corrected age of 2 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To examine the association between newborn neurobehavioural assessments and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years in infants born moderate-to-late preterm (MLPT).Method: Two-hundred and one infants born MLPT (born 32-36+6 wks' gestation) were assessed with the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE) and NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS), with suboptimal performance defined as scores lower than the 10th centile. Development was assessed at 2 years corrected age with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd Edition, with delay defined as scores less than 1 standard deviation (SD) below the mean. The relationships between neurobehaviour at term and Bayley-III cognitive, language, and motor scales at 2 years were examined using linear regression.Results: Increased odds for cognitive delay were associated with suboptimal HNNE total scores (odds ratio [OR] 2.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-6.23, p=0.020) and suboptimal NNNS excitability (OR 3.01; 95% CI 1.33-6.82, p=0.008) and lethargy (OR 4.05; 95% CI 1.75-9.31, p=0.001) scores. Suboptimal lethargy scores on the NNNS were associated with increased odds of language (OR 5.64; 95% CI 1.33-23.85, p=0.019) and motor delay (OR: 6.86; 95% CI 1.64-28.71, p=0.08).Interpretation: Suboptimal performance on specific aspects of newborn neurobehavioural assessments is associated with neurodevelopmental delay at 2 years in children born MLPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early detection of developmental problems is important for facilitating access to targeted intervention and maximising its positive effects. The later problems are identified, the more likely that they will become increasingly difficult to ameliorate. Standardised developmental screening tools are known to improve detection rates of developmental problems compared to clinical judgement alone and are widely recommended for use with all children. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) is a tool that is widely used in Australia. However, mainstream screening tools may not be appropriate for remote-dwelling Australian Aboriginal children. While Australian Aboriginal children face multiple developmental risk factors, there are no developmental screening tools that have been validated for use in this population.Aims: To determine the concurrent validity of the culturally adapted ASQ-3 - the ASQ-TRAK - for Australian Aboriginal children compared to the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III), a standardised, professionally administered developmental assessment.Subjects: The ASQ-TRAK and Bayley-III were administered cross-sectionally to 67 Central Australian Aboriginal children between 2 and 36months of age.Results: The ASQ-TRAK communication, gross motor, fine motor and problem-solving domains and the corresponding domains on the Bayley-III were moderately correlated. Overall sensitivity for the ASQ-TRAK was 71% (95% CI 29-96) and specificity was 92% (95% CI 88-99). Percentage agreement between the ASQ-TRAK and the Bayley-III was 90%.Conclusions: The ASQ-TRAK shows promise as a tool that can be used to improve developmental monitoring for remote dwelling Australian Aboriginal children. Further research is necessary to build on the current findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Developmental delays are more prevalent in low-income countries and access to developmental screening is severely limited. Introduction: This study evaluated an m-Health version of a standard developmental screening tool, Parents Evaluation Developmental Status (PEDS) and PEDS:Developmental Milestones (PEDS:DM) for use by community health workers (CHWs) in terms of (1) correspondence with conventional paper-based testing by a speech language pathologist (SLP) and (2) inter-rater reliability compared to an SLP. Method: CHWs were trained in a primary healthcare (PHC) setting to administer the newly developed smartphone application version of the PEDS tools. One SLP and two CHWs recruited 207 caregivers who were attending a baby wellness clinic. Caregivers were tested by one CHW using the smartphone application of the PEDS tools; a qualified SLP simultaneously recorded and scored the PEDS tools on the same participants. Results: High positive (100%) and negative correspondence (96%) was found between the paper-based PEDS tools and the smartphone application PEDS tools and between the SLP and CHW. Almost perfect (Cohen's Kappa) inter-rater agreement between conditions was demonstrated (κ = 0.873 to κ = 0.961). Conclusion: Outcomes of the smartphone application, operated by a CHW, corresponded closely to the gold standard PEDS tools operated by a health professional. Trained CHWs can conduct accurate developmental screening using the smartphone version of the PEDS tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine longitudinal motor performance in very preterm (VPT) infants from 6 months to 5 years of age for the entire cohort of infants, according to gender and gestational age and at the individual level.Method: Single-center, prospective longitudinal study of 201 VPT infants (106 boys) without severe impairments.Outcomes: Motor performance was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II-MS: 6, 12, 24 months) and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2-NL: 5 years).Results: At 6, 12, and 24 months and then at 5 years, 77%, 80%, 48%, and 22% of the infants, respectively, showed delayed motor performance (<-1SD). At 5 years, girls performed significantly better than boys in manual dexterity and balance. MIXED MODEL ANALYSES: that examined interactions between time and gender and time and gestational age, revealed no significant interactions. The variance at child level was 29%. Linear mixed model analysis revealed that mean z-scores of -1.46 at 6 months of age declined significantly to -0.52 at 5 years. Individual longitudinal motor performance showed high variability.Implications: Longitudinal motor performance improved almost 1 SD over five years. However, the variability of individual longitudinal motor performance hampers evaluation in clinical care and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's participation in decision making process in the family is an important factor to strengthen their childhood rights. Whether their families or some enacted laws would protect their rights? This paper explored the dynamics of children's participation in the family of female commercial sex workers (FCSWs) and its impact in their adolescent/adulthood. For this purpose, 50 (n) children of 8-16 years of age of Bowbazar red-light area of Kolkata (only metro city of eastern India) were selected through simple random sampling. These children shared various aspects of their participation in their families and their status of childhood. In addition to this, parental views were collected. It revealed that children were enjoying liberty and freedom from infancy. Their family affairs as well as community environment were also influencing their participation in the decision making process. This was the hindrance of their abusive childhood. It was revealed that 18% of the girls got married at 14-16 years of age, and about 36% of the boys involved in workforce at their age of 8-16 years within their community or outside. Hence, the enactment of laws for child rights might be malfunctioned if family as well as community environment does not change significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: An accurate Gestational Age (GA) is a better predictor of neonatal outcome than birth weight. GA assessment has many diagnostic and therapeutic importance. The methods available for GA estimations are LMP, new Ballard score and each methods has its own drawback which makes them either over estimate or under estimate GA. Antenatal 2nd trimester ultrasound measured femoral length gives more accurate GA estimation. Using similar principles we hypothesized that biometry of long bones with sonography imaging is feasible after birth and may be used to assess GA. The objectives of this study were to assess Post-natal gestational age using sonographic measurement of femoral length and then compare values with antenatal standards and further comparison of validity of each value with gestational age assessment by new Ballard score and the GA by LMP. Material and Methods: Ninety neonates from 32 weeks to 40 weeks of GA according to accurate LMP were subjected ultrasonographic measurement of femoral length. Results: GA calculated using accurate LMP as standard and compared with GA calculated from New Ballard score over estimated the GA. Post natal femoral length measured using sonographic method showed increase in femoral length with increasing GA similar to antenatal femoral standard and showed no statistical difference (p-value 0.375). Conclusions: post natal femoral length measured by ultrasonographicaly is a safe, feasible, objective and fastest method of GA estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that iodine plays an important role in the process of early growth and development of most organs, especially the brain. However, iodine concentration in the colostrum and its association with the neurobehavioral development of infants remains unclear. Colostrums from 150 women were collected, and their iodine concentrations were measured. The median colostrum iodine level was 187.8 μg/L. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development–III test was performed when the infants were about 18 months. The mean cognitive, language, and motor composite scores were 105.3 ± 9.8, 105.2 ± 11.1, and 104.6 ± 6.7, respectively. And the mean scores of the 5 subtests were 11.1 ± 2.0, 9.3 ± 2.0, 12.4 ± 2.3, 11.1 ± 1.2, and 10.4 ± 1.2, respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed in the cognition, language, or motor development of infants across different levels of colostrum iodine. After adjusting for a range of confounding factors, colostrum iodine concentration was a predictor of motor development, specifically gross motor development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We investigated whether there were clinically relevant differences in the area mean scores of the six-month Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) between four Norwegian population-based samples.Methods: Area mean scores and standard deviations (SDs) were investigated for the five developmental areas of the ASQ: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal-social. Sample sizes varied from 166 to 1192 and the ASQ was completed on paper or by computer. ASQ scores in the four samples were compared using ANOVA and Tukey's procedure was used to adjust for multiple comparisons.Results: The ASQ mean area scores were generally similar in the four data sets, with few clinically relevant differences, defined as a mean difference of greater than five points, which is the smallest increment in area score, or an effect size of >0.5 in absolute value. All the clinically relevant differences occurred when samples used a modified ASQ administration format. Several additional minor differences were statistically significant, which was expected due to the large samples.Conclusion: These results support the original Norwegian normative findings for the ASQ six-month form and the ASQ's use as a low-cost developmental screening tool in Norway, at least when the original format is administered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: to evaluate the agreement of the results in two screening tests on children's development - Denver II and Early Language Milestone Scale (ELM) aged two to three years old, born prematurely and with low weight. Methods: two screening instruments: Denver II and ELM were applied for the development in an observational cross-sectional descriptive study. The agreement between Denver II Test and its language sector and ELM were assessed by Kappa coefficient. Results: 77 children evaluated, 36.3% had an overall loss of the development performed by Denver II and 32.5% loss of the language by ELM. The agreement between the results of Denver II test considering all sectors versus ELM showed Kappa coefficient of 0.856 (p<0.001) and considering only the language sector of Denver II versus ELM, the Kappa coefficient was 0.886 (p<0.001). Conclusions: the developmental impairment observed in the children studied by assessing Denver II and through its language sector showed agreement with changes in the language abilities observed in ELM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The psychometric properties of two formats of developmental screening tools that may be used in follow-up clinics providing primary care to children born preterm are presented.Methods: 28 children born extremely preterm (<27 weeks) attending a high-risk clinic at the time of their 18-24 month visit were administered the Child Development Review, Brigance Early Head Start Screen II, and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition.Results: Both screeners identified the majority of the sample as at-risk. The Brigance Screen II more accurately identified children at-risk compared with the Child Developmental Review (sensitivity: 1.00 and 0.44; specificity: 0.60 and 0.80; positive predictive value: 79% and 80%; negative predictive value: 100% and 44%, respectively).Conclusions: Screening assessments using direct skills assessment may be an efficient and effective method of identifying children with developmental delays, particularly high-frequency but lower severity difficulties, in high-risk follow-up care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microdeletions at 17q11.2 often encompass NF1 gene, is the cause for NF1 microdeletion syndrome. Microdeletion at 17q11.2 without the involvement of NF1 gene is rarely reported. Case presentation: Here we reported a patient carrying a novel de novo deletion at 17q11.2 adjacent to NF1 gene, who presented with developmental delay, short stature, postnatal microcephaly, underweight and dysmorphic features including flat facial profile, dolicocephaly, hypertelorism, short philtrum, flat nasal bridge and posteriorly rotated and low set ears. Chromosomal microarray analysis revealed a 1.69 Mb de novo deletion at 17q11.2 adjacent to NF1 gene, which involves 43 RefSeq genes. We compared this with four overlapping deletions at this interval. Conclusions: A rare de novo microdeletion at 17q11.2 not involving NF1 gene is associated with developmental delay and dysmorphic features. Seven genes, TAOK1, PHF12, NUFIP2, SLC26A4, SEZ6, GIT1 and TRAF4 are possible candidates for the clinical features of our patient. The delineation of this rare deletion and description of associated clinical phenotypes will help to understand the genotype-phenotype correlation of genomic imbalances at this locus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature on “Thin Slice” ratings indicates that a number of personality characteristics and behaviors can be accurately predicted by ratings of very short segments (<5 min) of behavior. This study examined the utility of Thin Slice ratings of young children with autism spectrum disorder for predicting developmental skills and language gains over time. A total of 22 preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder participated in a battery of developmental assessments and a video-taped therapist–child interaction at Time 1. They then participated in follow-up testing of language skills and a second therapist–child interaction 6 months later (Time 2). Groups of approximately 25 naïve undergraduate students provided impression ratings (“Thin Slice ratings”) about each child’s skills and behaviors during 2-min segments taken from the therapist–child interaction videos at each time point. Thin Slice ratings at Time 1 were highly correlated with child scores on several developmental assessments at Time 1. In addition, Thin Slice ratings at Time 1 predicted gain in parent-reported expressive vocabulary over the course of 6 months, over and above the predictive utility of Time 1 vocabulary size. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the concurrent and predictive validity of Thin Slice ratings in young children with autism spectrum disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We report here the influence of sleep patterns on the development of infants in Japan. A total of 479 infants were registered in two different Japanese cities. Direct neurological observations were performed by licensed pediatric neurologists. Method We designed a prospective cohort study and identified the sleep factors of children showing atypical development. The Kinder Infant Developmental Scale (KIDS) was used to evaluate the infant developmental quotient (DQ); we also applied a neurobehavioral screening battery. Neurobehavioral observations in 18-month-old infants were designed to check all developmental categories within the three areas of motor function, language, and social function. Based on the observations, each infant was classified as having “atypical development” or “typical development”. Result We found that later sleep onset time (>22:00 h), and longer naps during the day each had significant positive correlations with atypical development patterns in 18-month-old infants. For each hour the infant sleep-onset time extended past 22:00 h, the infants showed worse neurodevelopmental outcomes, at an odds ratio increase of 2.944. Conclusion Although our results may be confounded by sleep problems resulting from pre-existing developmental disabilities, we can safely conclude that appropriate sleeping habits are important for healthy development in 18-month-old infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is widespread interest in identification of developmental delay in the first six years of life. This requires, however, a reliable and valid measure for screening. In Ontario, the 18-month enhanced well-baby visit includes province-wide administration of a parent-reported survey, the Nipissing District Developmental Screening (NDDS) tool, to facilitate early identification of delay. Yet, at present the psychometric properties of the NDDS are largely unknown.Method: 812 children and their families were recruited from the community. Parents (most often mothers) completed the NDDS. A sub-sample (n = 111) of parents completed the NDDS again within a two-week period to assess test-retest reliability. For children 3 or younger, the criterion measure was the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 3rd edition; for older children, a battery of other measures was used. All criterion measures were administered by trained assessors. Mild and severe delays were identified based on both published cut-points and on the distribution of raw scores. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated to assess agreement between tests.Results: Test-retest reliability was modest (Spearman's rho = .62, p < 001). Regardless of the age of the child, the definition of delay (mild versus severe), or the cut-point used on the NDDS, sensitivities (from 29 to 68 %) and specificities (from 58 to 88 %) were poor to moderate.Conclusion: The modest test-retest results, coupled with the generally poor observed agreement with criterion measures, suggests the NDDS should not be used on its own for identification of developmental delay in community or population-based settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Corrected age is typically applied when assessing the development of children born <32 weeks of gestation. There is no consensus as to whether corrected age should be applied when assessing children born late/moderately preterm (LMPT; 32-36 weeks of gestation).Aims: This study explored the impact of corrected age on developmental test scores in infants born LMPT.Study Design: 221 LMPT infants were assessed at two years corrected age using the Bayley-III cognitive and language scales, from which cognitive and language composite scores were derived (Normative Mean 100; SD 15). Assessments were then re-scored using chronological age. Bayley-III composite scores <80 were used to define developmental delay. Paired sample t-tests were used to assess the difference in mean test scores derived using corrected versus chronological age, and McNemar's tests to assess the difference in the proportion of infants with developmental delay using corrected versus chronological age.Results: Mean corrected age scores were significantly higher than chronological age scores (cognitive: 2.1 points; 95% CI 1.6, 2.5; language 2.5; 95% CI 2.1, 2.8). Overall, significantly more LMPT infants were classified with developmental delay when chronological (18.3%) versus corrected (15.0%) age was used (p=0.016).Conclusions: Correcting for prematurity results in significantly higher developmental test scores and a significantly lower prevalence of developmental delay in LMPT infants and may affect eligibility for intervention services. Researchers and clinicians should be aware that the use of corrected age may impact on developmental test scores at both an individual and population level among infants born LMPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's free play naturally enhances skills of observation, communication, experimentation, as well as development of rationale and construction skills. These domains, while synthesised, can lead to the development of certain process models regarding the way constructions could be designed, built and improved. The Design Process model constitutes a core concept of engineering. Blocks seem to be one of the best tools to use in order to work towards the development of such a model. This is a qualitative observational study in preschoolers’ free playing with blocks. Eighteen children aged three- to five-years-old were observed and videotaped for four months to examine whether young children can demonstrate instances of precursors to engineering behaviour while building, by demonstrating similarities to the Design Process. Analysis of the video data showed that children demonstrated and articulated goal-oriented design, problem-solving thinking, innovation stemming out of synthesis of multiple designs, pattern repetition (PR) and design testing (DT). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

AIM: Reliable and valid screening and assessment tools are necessary to identify children at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities who may require additional services. This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of the Capute Scales in a high-risk sample, hypothesizing adequate reliability across 6- and 12-month intervals. METHODS: Capute Scales scores (N= 66) were collected via retrospective chart review from a NICU follow-up clinic within a large urban medical center spanning three age-ranges: 12-18, 19-24, and 25-36 months. On average, participants were classified as very low birth weight and premature. Reliability of the Capute Scales was evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficients across length of test-retest interval, age at testing, and degree of neonatal complications. RESULTS: The Capute Scales demonstrated high reliability, regardless of length of test-retest interval (ranging from 6 to 14 months) or age of participant, for all index scores, including overall Developmental Quotient (DQ), language-based skill index (CLAMS) and nonverbal reasoning index (CAT). Linear regressions revealed that greater neonatal risk was related to poorer test-retest reliability; however, reliability coefficients remained strong. CONCLUSIONS: The Capute Scales afford clinicians a reliable and valid means of screening and assessing for neurodevelopmental delay within high-risk infant populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early child development instrument (EDI) has become an important tool for screening children at entry into kindergarten in order to assess their development in five areas. After more than 10 years of its initiation and widespread use, it's time to rethink about the tool's theoretical and empirical basis. In this study, we applied factor analytic methods to re-examine the factorial structure and test the goodness of fit of several alternative models, using the 2011 EDI data for the province of Alberta. We also analyzed all 103 items from a classical test theory perspective to investigate the relevance of items to the definition of vulnerability postulated by the EDI developers. Changes need to be made to accommodate alternative factorial structure and, if possible a short form of EDI is to be developed, as there is evidence that reliability is high even with fewer items. A number of questions are addressed, aligned with specific objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the discriminant validity of Risk Indicators of the Revised Development Behavior Profile (INDIPCD-R) as screening tool for the early detection of developmental alterations and delays in children aged 6 months to 4 years. Methods: Comparative cross-sectional study with a sample of 145 children, which included children attending a clinic and two day-care centers (CENDI). Of the total, 83 children were evaluated with INDIPCDR and the Revised Behavior Profile Developmental Scale (PCD-R), while the rest were evaluated only with INDIPCD-R. A descriptive analysis of frequencies of the variables of the study, U de Mann-Whitney to compare INDIPCD-R in the clinic and CENDI. Sensibility and Specificity for the INDIPCD-R. Internal consistency of the INDIPCD-R with the Cronbach's Alpha. Results: Significant differences were found in the frequencies of risk indicators (p < 0.05) in the two groups studied. In the group of children from the clinic, sensitivity: 100%; specificity: 69%. In the group from the CENDI, sensitivity: 94%; specificity: 84%. Cronbach's Alpha: 0.938. Conclusion: INDIPCD-R is a screening tool that discriminates children with delays and deviations in their development from those whose development is normal and not at risk. It was demonstrated in a valid and reliable way that children who apparently have a normal development, without specific diagnosis, may present developmental alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses ways of managing a child that exhibits delayed development. Topics discussed include the need for children with speech, language, and hearing delays to pass through developmental screening test, the possibility for speech disorders to cause problems of articulation, speech fluency, and problems of voice, and the capacity of language impairments to affect language form, content, and use.

The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Denver Developmental Screening Test II in a population of Spanish children. Two hundred children ranging from 9 month to 6 years were grouped into two samples (healthy/with psychomotor delay) and screened in order to check whether they suffered from psychomotor delay. Children from three Early Intervention Centres and three schools participated in this study. Criterion validity was calculated by the method of extreme groups, comparing healthy children to those with development delay. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were calculated using Cohen Kappa coefficient, and internal consistency was calculated via the Kuder-Richardson coefficient. The scale demonstrated 89 % sensitivity, 92 % specificity, a positive predicted value of 91 % and a negative predicted value of 89 %, whereas the positive and negative likelihood ratio was 11.12 and 0.12, respectively. Intraobserver reliability ranged from 0.662 to 1, and interobserver reliability ranged from 0.886 to 1. The Kuder-Richardson coefficient values ranged from 87.5 to 97.6 %. Conclusion: The Spanish version of the Denver Developmental Screening Test II was found to have a good criterion validity, reliability and internal consistency and is a suitable screening test for use in a population of Spanish children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The controversial topic of the early exposure to mercury is regarding ethylmercury, which is present in the thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs). The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the early exposure to TCVs and cognitive development in children during the first 9 years of life. The cohort included 318 children vaccinated in an early period (neonatal and up to 6 months) against hepatitis B and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) using formulation with or without thimerosal. The children's development was assessed using the Fagan test (6th month of life), the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID)-II (12th-36th month), the Raven test (5th, 8th year), and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) (6th, 7th, 9th year). Results were determined by multivariable linear and logistic regression, adjusted to potential confounders. Children exposed and not exposed to TCVs in the neonatal period had similar outcomes of cognitive-developmental tests; only the results of BSID-II at the 36th month and WISC-R at the 9th year were significantly higher for those exposed to TCVs. Developmental test results in children exposed to TCVs up to the 6th month of life also did not depend on thimerosal dose. Conclusion: TCV administration in early infancy did not affect children's cognitive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental disharmony is usually defined as adverse deviation from the normal development, regardless of reasons that cause it (Lagae, 2008). According to the APA, the problem concerns about 5 - 10% of school-age children (APA, 2000). The symptoms of developmental disharmony are heterogeneous and their manifestation is determined by the age of the child. The sphere of motor development plays a dominant role in the presentation of these disorders in the case of small children. So researchers suggest a psychomotor diagnosis as the most desirable diagnosis in the case of developmental disharmony of a small child. One of the tools allowing for such a diagnosis is German test MOT 4 - 6. The purpose of this article was to describe the validation procedure of the Polish version of the psychomotor MOT 4 - 6 by R. Zimmer and M. Volkammer for four-year-old children. This age group, due to the lack of objective tools, is very rarely included in diagnostic procedures. Results: The validation of the Polish version of the MOT 4 - 6 for four-year-old children indicates this tool as accurate and reliable in diagnosing delays in the psychomotor development of small children. The Polish adaptation of the test will help to fill the existing gap in Polish diagnostic tools for four-year-olds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To provide one of the first prospective reports examining neuropsychological outcomes for children treated with 1800 cGy whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and prophylactic chemotherapy versus prophylactic chemotherapy alone for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Acute and long-term neuropsychological toxicities associated with WBRT are compared. Methods This multisite study included 188 children, ages 4-21 years at enrollment, who were assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests at 9, 21, and 48 months after diagnosis with intermediate risk ALL. All participating children were receiving treatment on a parent study CCG105. Results Verbal intelligence (VIQ) scores for children receiving WBRT was significantly lower than VIQ for prophylactic chemotherapy at the 48-month time point ( p < 0.05). A significant cross-level interaction between time since diagnosis and treatment condition was observed ( p < 0.05). WBRT did not result in differences in PIQ; both groups of children demonstrated comparable increases in PIQ. Neuropsychological findings at 48 months after diagnosis indicated diminished performance in neuromotor, visual-motor coordination, and executive functioning for children receiving WBRT. Academic achievement was unaffected by WBRT at 4 years after diagnosis. Conclusions The measurement of verbal and performance IQ as a primary endpoint in ALL clinical trials is critical to characterizing neuropsychological late effects. A trajectory of decline in neuropsychological functioning, specifically verbal IQ, was observed. Missing data within the trial occurred at random and did not impact results observed. The impact of WBRT becomes evident at 48 months after diagnosis, suggesting the need for long-term follow-up beyond the time frame typically used in Phase III trials. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creative research method ‘draw and write’ has been used in health, social care and education research for several decades. A literature search of studies utilising this method was conducted during the planning stages of a study exploring primary school children’s perceptions of infant feeding. A review of this literature noted a range of benefits of ‘draw and write’ in enabling child participation. However, it also identified that the method has been used inconsistently and found that there are issues for researchers in relation to interpretation of creative work and analysis of data. As a result of this, an improvement on this method, entitled ‘draw, write and tell’, was developed in an attempt to provide a more child-orientated and consistent approach to data collection, interpretation and analysis. This article identifies the issues relating to ‘draw and write’ and describes the development and application of ‘draw, write and tell’ as a case study, noting its limitations and benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, the authors argue for a greater understanding of children's play across cultures through better integration of scientific thinking about the developed and developing societies, through consideration of socialization beliefs and goals, and, finally, through the use of more complex models in research investigations. They draw on theoretical propositions in anthropology and psychology to describe and interpret the meaning of parent-child play activities in the context of everyday socialization practices in societies in various stages of economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: to analyze the communication development of children aged one to three years from two day care centers in Belo Horizonte city considering the variables familiar environment and school environments. Methods: 70 children from 1 to 3years from daycare were evaluated. Initially, the environment of the day care centers were assessed according to the scale ITERS ((Infant and Toddlers Environment Rating Scale-Revised)), subsequently was performed the Resource Inventory of Family Environment to characterize the education environment. In the day care centers were performed evaluations of hearing and language through otoacoustic emissions and communicative profile. We chose exploratory analysis of variables in order to characterize the sample. Next, we performed a multiple regression analysis in order to obtain a mathematical relationship between the data, checking in the set of independent variables that most influence the dependent variable. Results: were found 54% ofthe male, 46% failed the hearing screening, and the highest average in the Protocol of Profile Communicative was in the field: Communication - Reception.In relation to the school environment, the highest scores were obtained in institution A. There was relationship between communicative profile and inventory of resources of the family environment.Conclusion: the results corroborate the literature that report the direct influence of environmental stimuli on child development and also claims that the contexts in which the individual develops may contribute to its development, and the family and the school are the main source of support for the child. Thus, it's necessary further studies about the school-child-family triad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a longitudinal kinematic study of spontaneous arm and leg motions in 4 supine infants at 3, 4 1/2, and 6 months of age. The study addressed two questions: (a) whether there was a longitudinal change in the synchronization of joint rotations at the hips, knees, shoulders, and elbows, indicating that the arms and legs were moving more independently of each other; and (b) whether, during this period, the spatial location of the hands relative to the shoulders was different from that of the feet relative to the hips, indicating that the infants were beginning to use their upper limbs differently than their lower limbs. We found that, in general, the arms and legs were moving more independently of each other by 6 months of age. At the same time, the infants were more likely to hold their hands away from the body in preparation for making contact with an object in the midline, but they brought their feet close to the body to maximize propulsive kicks. Thus, a reorganization of the relative timing of joint rotations appears to be related to the emergence of different arm and leg functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results of an application of the Rasch rating scale model to the Teaching Strategies GOLD® assessment system in a norm sample of children aged birth to 71 months. The analyses focused on the examination of dimensionality, rating scale effectiveness, the hierarchy of item difficulties, and the relationship of developmental scale scores to child age. Results show that each subscale satisfies the Rasch model for unidimensionality. Ratings were found to be less reliable at the lowest and highest ends of the scale and less distinct at "In-between" levels. Items appear to form theoretically expected hierarchies, supporting evidence for construct validity for the measures. Moderately high correlations of developmental scale scores with child age suggest that teachers are able to make valid ratings of the developmental progress of children across the intended age range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]