Evaluation of a developmental screening system for use by child health nurses

An adapted version of the Woodside system for screening general development of the child is being used by child health nurses as part of their routine duties. In the present paper the system is validated in terms of standardisation, reliability, and validity. The system was standardised on 444 children aged 0-4, the assessments being carried out by a fully trained child health nurse. The inter-tester reliability of the system was found to be at least 95%. The validation sample consisted of all 27 'abnormal' children, all 20 'doubtful' children, and 77 'normal' children, and a highly significant correlation was obtained between the Woodside subsection scores and the relevant Griffiths' scales subsection scores. The findings support initial impressions that the adapted Woodside system is accurate. It is recommended for use by child health nurses as part of their developmental surveillance.