Identifying Infants and Toddlers at High Risk for Persistent Delays

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Longitudinal Studies

Background:

• Developmental delays identified in infancy often resolve by early childhood, but the persistence rates are not well-documented.
• Understanding these trajectories is crucial for identifying children who may need early intervention (EI).

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the persistence of developmental delays from infancy to early childhood in a large, nationally representative sample of children who did not receive EI.
• To determine the likelihood of developmental delays resolving or worsening between 9 and 24 months of age.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from a large (n ≈ 8700) nationally representative birth cohort study.
• Assessed cognitive and motor development at 9 and 24 months, categorizing delays as none, mild, or moderate/severe.
• Employed adjusted ordinal logistic regression to analyze the odds of persistent or worsening developmental delays.

Main Results:

• Approximately 24% of children exhibited cognitive delays and 27% motor delays at 9 or 24 months.
• A significant proportion of children experienced resolution of delays: 77% with mild and 70% with moderate/severe delays at 9 months had no delay at 24 months.
• Children with mild or moderate/severe cognitive or motor delays at 9 months had significantly higher odds (2.4 to 3 times) of worse developmental outcomes at 24 months compared to those with no delay.

Conclusions:

• Infant developmental delays are often transient and frequently resolve without formal early intervention.
• This study provides essential data on the natural course of cognitive and motor development in infants, highlighting the proportion of delays that resolve spontaneously.
• Findings inform our understanding of developmental trajectories and the need for targeted support for children with persistent delays.