A comparison of two developmental instruments in evaluating children with Down's syndrome

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatrics
• Genetics

Background:

• Down syndrome is a genetic disorder associated with developmental delays.
• Accurate assessment of developmental lags is crucial for early intervention.
• Various developmental scales exist, but their comparability in specific populations is not always clear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the developmental patterns observed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) and the Gesell Developmental Schedules (GDS) in children with Down syndrome.
• To determine if these two widely used developmental assessments are interchangeable for this population.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-one infants diagnosed with Down syndrome participated in the study.
• Each child was assessed using both the BSID and the GDS.
• Mental and motor developmental lags were calculated and compared between the two scales.

Main Results:

• Developmental lags were significantly larger on the BSID compared to the GDS.
• On the BSID, mental and motor lags were not significantly different.
• On the GDS, mental lag was significantly greater than motor lag.
• The BSID showed increases in both mental and motor lags with chronological age, while the GDS only showed an increase in mental lag with age.

Conclusions:

• The BSID and GDS produce different developmental patterns in infants with Down syndrome.
• These discrepancies highlight that the scales are not interchangeable for assessing developmental progress in this population.
• The findings underscore the importance of selecting the appropriate developmental assessment tool based on the specific population and research question.