Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
[The assessment of infant motor development disorders in primary health care institutions]
Inesa Rimdeikiene1, Audrone Prasauskiene
1Kauno medicinos universiteto kliniku Reabilitacijos klinika, Kauno vaiko raidos klinika, Eiveniu 2, 3007 Kaunas.
Insights
Primary care physicians in Lithuania often assess infant motor development but lack specialized tools and training. They desire to improve early detection of developmental disorders in infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Primary Health Care
Background:
- Early detection of infant motor development disorders is crucial for timely intervention.
- Primary healthcare institutions play a key role in infant health surveillance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the feasibility of assessing infant motor development disorders within primary healthcare settings in central Lithuania.
- To understand current practices and identify barriers to effective screening.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted using original questionnaires distributed to primary healthcare institutions in the Kaunas district.
- Responses were collected from 148 General Practitioners and Pediatricians.
Main Results:
- Physicians manage an average of 28.8 infants, with 3.55 exhibiting motor development disorders.
- While 92.6% of doctors assess infant motor development, most rely on routine clinical assessment, with only 4.8% using precise methods like the Munich diagnostic scheme or Bobath method.
- A significant majority (66.9%) expressed willingness to perform assessments in primary care clinics.
Conclusions:
- General Practitioners and Pediatricians in Lithuania perceive a gap in their competence and available resources for assessing infant motor development disorders.
- There is a clear need for enhanced training and supportive tools to empower primary care providers in early identification of these conditions.
Objective:
The delay or disorders of infant motor development require early screening and treatment. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibilities to assess infant motor development disorders in primary health care institutions of central part of Lithuania.
Materials And Methods:
The original questionnaires were sent to primary health care institutions of Kaunas district. One-hundred-forty-eight questionnaires with answers of General Practitioners and Pediatricians returned to investigators.
Results:
Analysing the data we found that one physician in average takes care of 28.8 +/- 18.4 infants, among these infants 3.55 +/- 4.2 have disorders of motor development. Most of the doctors (92.6%) evaluate the infant motor development, but use only the method of routine clinical assessment. Very few physicians (4.8%) use very precise methods of assessment (Munich diagnostic scheme or Bobath method). Among all doctors 66.9% expressed the will to asses infant motor development by themselves in primary health care clinic.
Conclusions:
We conclude, that General Practitioners and Pediatricians feel the lack of competence and assistant aids for the assessment of motor development disorders in infants.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Primary Healthcare Services
In 1978, international leaders convened in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would be a pivotal event in global health. The Alma-Ata Declaration was the first to call...
01:29Nursing Assessment
The nurse collects all aspects of the patient's health in the initial assessment, establishing priorities for ongoing focused assessments and...
01:29Three Developmental Domains
Physical Development
Physical processes, also known as maturation, encompass the biological changes that occur across an individual's life. These changes begin with genetic inheritance and continue through various stages, including growth in height and weight,...