Abdelbaky, O., Deifallah, S., Amin, G., Marzouk, D. (2022). Screening for Developmental Delays in Children 2-36 Months of Age in a Primary Health Care Center in Cairo, Egypt. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 52(2), 53-58. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2022.254505
Omnya A. Abdelbaky; Shaymaa Deifallah; Ghada Amin; Diaa Marzouk. "Screening for Developmental Delays in Children 2-36 Months of Age in a Primary Health Care Center in Cairo, Egypt". Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 52, 2, 2022, 53-58. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2022.254505
Abdelbaky, O., Deifallah, S., Amin, G., Marzouk, D. (2022). 'Screening for Developmental Delays in Children 2-36 Months of Age in a Primary Health Care Center in Cairo, Egypt', Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 52(2), pp. 53-58. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2022.254505
Abdelbaky, O., Deifallah, S., Amin, G., Marzouk, D. Screening for Developmental Delays in Children 2-36 Months of Age in a Primary Health Care Center in Cairo, Egypt. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 2022; 52(2): 53-58. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2022.254505
Screening for Developmental Delays in Children 2-36 Months of Age in a Primary Health Care Center in Cairo, Egypt
1Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
2Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
3Department of Community, Environment and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Abstract
Background: Developmental delays (DDs) in children are rising and necessitate routine screening for early recognition and management. Objective(s): To estimate the prevalence of developmental delays among children 2-36 months of age in a Primary Health Care (PHC) center in Cairo, Egypt. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Saraya El-Koba PHC center involving 193 children 2-36 months of age. Data were collected using Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) to assess five domains of development: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social. Some parents’ characteristics were also included. Results: Frequency of developmental delays was 9.3%. The domains with the most frequent delays were the communication and gross motor (3.1% each) and the least was the fine motor domain (1.04%). Girls scored significantly higher than boys in the problem-solving domain (p=0.037). First to third order of birth had higher communication and social scores (p=0.025, p=0.003 respectively). Highly educated mothers had children with higher fine motor and total developmental scores (p < 0.001 and 0.014 respectively), while highly educated fathers had children with higher communication scores (p=0.009). Duration of breast feeding was positively correlated with gross motor and social scores (p=0.001, p=0.042 respectively). Conclusion: The frequency of DDs was 9.3%. This prevalence is considered high compared to previous studies. It showed several associated factors and recommended early screening of preschool children for prompt recognition and timely intervention.