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Instability of revised Korean Developmental Screening Test classification in first year of life
Ji Eun Jeong1, You Min Kim1, Na Won Lee1
1Department of Pediatrics, Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
Insights
Developmental screening in infants shows variability. Most infants improve by 10-12 months, but those with low scores on the Korean Developmental Screening Test (K-DST) need monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Development
- Developmental Screening
- Infant Health
Background:
- Early childhood development exhibits significant variability.
- Monitoring developmental trajectories is crucial for identifying potential delays.
- Standardized screening tools aid in assessing infant development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the stability of developmental classifications using the revised Korean Developmental Screening Test (K-DST).
- To assess developmental classifications in healthy term infants at 4-6 and 10-12 months.
- To understand the test-retest reliability of the K-DST in early infancy.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Korean Children's Environmental Health Study, a nationwide prospective birth cohort.
- Conducted serial Korean Developmental Screening Test (K-DST) assessments on 69 healthy term infants.
- Infants were assessed at two age intervals: 4-6 months and 10-12 months.
Main Results:
- At 4-5 months, over 50% of infants scored ≥-1 SD, with gross motor domain having the lowest prevalence (52.7%).
- Seven infants (10.1%) scored below -2 SD at 4-5 months, primarily in motor domains.
- By 10-12 months, most infants improved; only two of the initial seven remained below -2 SD.
Conclusions:
- Infants scoring below -2 SD on the K-DST at 4-5 months, particularly in gross motor skills, require close monitoring.
- Repeated evaluations are recommended for infants with concerning scores, even without overt red flags.
- The revised K-DST demonstrates potential for identifying infants needing closer developmental surveillance.
Background:
Early development is characterized by considerable variability.
Purpose:
This study aimed to examine the stability of developmental classifications using the revised Korean Developmental Screening Test (K-DST) in healthy term infants aged 4-6 and 10-12 months.
Methods:
Data were obtained from the Korean Children's Environmental Health Study, a nationwide prospective birth cohort. Sixty-nine healthy term infants (26 boys, 43 girls) underwent serial K-DST assessments at 4-6 and 10-12 months of age, between August 2017 and December 2019.
Results:
At 4-5 months, over 50% of infants were categorized in the ≥-1 standard deviation (SD) group, with the lowest prevalence in the gross motor domain (52.7%). Seven infants (10.1%) scored below -2 SD in at least one domain, most commonly in gross and fine motor domains (7.3%). At 10-12 months, over 70% of infants scored in the ≥-1 SD group, except in the language domain. Six infants (9.5%) scored below -2 SD in at least one domain, (cognition 4.8%, language 3.2%, gross motor 3.2%). Serial follow-up showed significant improvement, with many infants moving to the ≥-1 SD group, particularly in the gross motor domain (33.3%). Of the seven infants scoring below -2 SD at 4-5 months, only two remained in this category at 10-12 months.
Conclusion:
Infants scoring below -2 SD on the revised K-DST 4-5 months questionnaire, especially in the gross motor domain, should undergo close monitoring and repeated evaluations in the absence of neurological abnormalities or developmental red flags.
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