Development and validation of a new Lucknow Development Screen for Indian children aged 6 months to 2 years

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Pediatric Screening
• Developmental Milestones

Background:

• Early identification of developmental delays is crucial for timely intervention.
• Existing screening tools may require adaptation for specific populations.
• The Baroda norms and Gesell's schedules are foundational for infant development assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new screening tool for infant development in the Indian context.
• To assess the reliability and accuracy of the Lucknow Development Screen.
• To provide an accessible screening method for community use.

Main Methods:

• A chart was created using milestones from Bayley Scales and Gesell's schedules against age in months.
• Screening positive was defined by failure to achieve milestones relative to chronological age.
• The screen was validated against a full Developmental Assessment Scale in 142 children aged 6-24 months.

Main Results:

• Interrater and test-retest reliability were calculated.
• The Lucknow Development Screen achieved a sensitivity of 95.9% and a specificity of 73.1%.
• The tool proved effective in identifying children with potential developmental issues.

Conclusions:

• The Lucknow Development Screen is a reliable and valid tool for infant development screening.
• It can be effectively implemented for community-based screening programs in India.
• The screen aids in the early detection of developmental delays, facilitating prompt intervention.