Is there a relationship between parental concern and suspicion of developmental delay?

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Development
• Child Health Surveillance
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• Parental perception of child development is crucial for early identification of potential issues.
• Understanding risk factors associated with developmental alterations is essential for targeted interventions.
• Socioeconomic status can influence child development and access to resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between parental concerns regarding child development and actual developmental outcomes.
• To identify risk factors, including socioeconomic status, linked to developmental alterations.
• To explore the predictive value of parental concern in identifying children at risk for developmental delay.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 498 children (aged 4-65 months) in Santa Catarina, Brazil.
• Data collected via the Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children (SWYC-BR) and socioeconomic classification.
• Multivariate analysis performed using R Studio software with a significance level of 0.05.

Main Results:

• Parents expressing concern were nearly three times more likely to have children with suspected developmental delay (PR 2.97, 95% CI 1.85-4.33).
• Illicit substance abuse by parents was associated with a nearly two-fold increased risk of suspected developmental delay (p=0.034).
• Other environmental variables showed no significant association with developmental delay.

Conclusions:

• Parental concern is a significant and independent predictor of suspected developmental delay in young children.
• These findings underscore the importance of parental input in developmental monitoring and family-centered care.
• Early identification and intervention strategies should incorporate parental feedback for effective child development support.