Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
Development and validation of a parent-report measure for detection of cognitive delay in infancy
Graham Schafer1, Lucia Genesoni1, Greg Boden2
1School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Insights
The Early Report by Infant Caregivers (ERIC) tool effectively screens for cognitive delay in preterm infants aged 10-24 months. It shows high sensitivity and negative predictive value, aiding in early detection.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal development
- Pediatric neurology
- Developmental psychology
Background:
- Preterm infants and those with low birthweight or perinatal complications are at higher risk for cognitive delay.
- Early detection of cognitive delay is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes.
- Existing screening tools may be time-consuming or require specialized administration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Early Report by Infant Caregivers (ERIC), a brief, parent-completed instrument.
- To assess ERIC's ability to detect cognitive delay in high-risk infants aged 10-24 months.
- To establish the diagnostic properties of ERIC, including sensitivity and specificity.
Main Methods:
- Parents of 317 high-risk infants (preterm, low birthweight, or perinatal complications) completed the ERIC.
- Infants were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III cognitive scale as the criterion standard.
- Instrument items were selected based on their association with developmental delay; sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated.
Main Results:
- ERIC demonstrated high sensitivity (94.4%) in detecting cognitive delay, correctly identifying 17 out of 18 affected infants.
- The tool exhibited high specificity (76.9%) and a very high negative predictive value (99.6%), indicating strong ability to rule out delay.
- A truncated version of ERIC was developed for infants younger than 14 months.
Conclusions:
- The ERIC instrument shows significant potential as a rapid screening tool for identifying cognitive delay in high-risk infants.
- ERIC is particularly valuable for ruling out cognitive delay, facilitating early intervention planning.
- Its parent-completed nature enhances feasibility for widespread use in clinical settings.
Aim:
To develop a brief, parent-completed instrument (ERIC - Early Report by Infant Caregivers) for detection of cognitive delay in 10- to 24-month-olds born preterm, or of low birthweight, or with perinatal complications, and to establish ERIC's diagnostic properties.
Method:
Scores for ERIC were collected from the parents of 317 children meeting ≥inclusion criterion (birthweight <1500 g, gestational age <34 completed weeks, 5 min Apgar score <7, or presence of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy) and no exclusion criteria. Children were assessed using a criterion score of below 80 on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III cognitive scale. Items were retained according to their individual associations with delay. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were estimated and a truncated ERIC was developed for use in children <14 months old.
Results:
ERIC correctly detected developmental delay in 17 out of 18 children in the sample, with 94.4% sensitivity, 76.9% specificity, 19.8% positive predictive value, 99.6% negative predictive value, 4.09 likelihood ratio positive, and 0.07 likelihood ratio negative.
Interpretation:
ERIC has potential value as a quickly administered diagnostic instrument for the absence of early cognitive delay in 10- to 24-month-old preterm infants and as a screen for cognitive delay.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Binet's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
01:30Information Processing Approach