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Published on: June 20, 2020
Usefulness of maternal assessment of children development based on reported age of achieved milestones
Renata Majewska1, Dorota Mrozek-Budzyn, Agnieszka Kieltyka
1Jagiellonian University Medical College. rmajewska@cm-uj.krakow.pl
Insights
Maternal recall of early childhood developmental milestones is reliable for clinical judgment. Early achievement of milestones correlates with better motor scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II).
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Child Psychology
- Infant Development
Background:
- Assessing infant development is crucial for early intervention.
- Maternal recall is a common but debated method for gathering developmental data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability of maternal recall of developmental milestones.
- To correlate maternal reports with standardized infant development assessments.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 387 children.
- Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II (BSID-II) administered at 12, 24, and 36 months.
- Mothers reported milestone attainment at age 3.
Main Results:
- Earlier milestone achievement correlated with higher BSID-II motor scores.
- Significant correlations found for milestones like walking unassisted (-0.586).
- Stronger correlations observed when recall timing closely matched assessment timing.
Conclusions:
- Maternal reports on developmental milestones in children under three are reliable.
- These reports can be effectively utilized in clinical decision-making.
- Supports the use of maternal recall as a valuable tool in pediatric assessments.
Study Objective:
The aim of the study was to examine the usefulness of maternal recall of selected developmental milestones by testing their correlations with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II).
Material And Methods:
Prospective cohort study. The cohort recruited prenatally, included 387 children. The BSID-II tests were carried out in each child at the end of the 12th, 24th and 36th month of life. When children were 3 years old, mothers were questioned about their child's age at attainment of 8 significant developmental milestones.
Results:
The infants who attained developmental milestones earlier in their first years of life were more likely to achieved a better scores on the motor scale of the BSID-II. Correlation coefficients ranged from -0.117 for bladder control to -0.424 for standing without assistance and -0.586 for walking unassisted. Correlation arose when the difference between the time of achieving a particular milestone and time of managing the BSID-II was smaller.
Conclusion:
Our study demonstrated that maternal reports of developmental milestones of children under 3 years old are sufficiently reliable to be used in clinical judgment.
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