Do early developmental delays predict emotional and behavioral problems at preschool age? A longitudinal study

Early childhood developmental conditions play a key role in subsequent neuropsychological trajectories and may predict later emotional and behavioral problems.

To investigate the association between developmental delays in children aged 2-3 years and emotional and behavioral problems at 4-5 years.

This is a longitudinal study of mother-child dyads followed up within a cohort of pregnant adolescents attending the Public Health System in Southern Brazil. Child development was assessed at 2-3 years of age using the cognitive, language, and social-emotional domains of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development - Third Edition (Bayley-III). The outcomes at 4-5 years included depressive, anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity, autism spectrum, and oppositional defiant problems evaluated using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).

Two hundred and eighty-five children were evaluated for child development at age 2-3 and for emotional and behavioral problems at age 4-5. Children with language delay had a higher prevalence of depressive (PR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.02-3.46) and anxiety problems (PR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.10-2.85) at preschool age, compared to those without delay. No significant associations were observed between delays in the cognitive and social-emotional domains and the outcomes.

Language delays in early childhood are associated with a higher probability of emotional problems at preschool age. These findings suggest that early developmental changes may serve as relevant clinical markers for identifying children at risk and for providing early interventions.