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[New mental development screening test for use in health examinations of infants]
R Yoshikawa1, M Hizume, K Yamamoto
1Mental Health & Welfare Center of Nagano Prefecture.
Insights
This study developed a new mental development screening test to predict future developmental disorders. Key items, especially those related to social interaction, were identified for early detection and intervention.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Pediatric screening
- Early childhood development
Context:
- Early identification of developmental disorders is crucial for timely intervention.
- Existing screening tools may lack sufficient predictive validity.
- This research addresses the need for a reliable screening method in infants.
Purpose:
- To develop and validate a new mental development screening test.
- To identify specific developmental milestones with predictive power for future disorders.
- To establish criteria for early detection of developmental disorders in young children.
Summary:
- A prospective study followed infants until age 5, analyzing developmental screening test items administered at 7, 10 months, and 1, 1.5 years.
- Items demonstrating high significance and sensitivity, particularly those related to interpersonal skills, were selected.
- A synthesized scale with optimized cut-off points demonstrated predictive validity for developmental disorders.
Impact:
- The developed screening test aids in the early identification of potential developmental disorders.
- Findings highlight the importance of social interaction milestones in predicting developmental outcomes.
- This tool can improve public health nursing practices in early childhood screening.
Objective:
This study is designed to produce a new mental development screening test with predictive validity for future developmental disorders.
Method:
1. The items of mental development screening test were selected provisionally, and the results of the items were stored in the 7 months, 10 months, 1 year, 1 year and 6 months of health examinations in Suzaka city, Nagano Prefecture. 2. All the tested infants were prospectively followed until 5 years of age (the middle year of day nurseries or kindergartens), when their conditions were diagnosed for developmental disorders (mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). 3. The relation between 1. and 2. was analyzed.
Results:
1. Acceptable levels for items of the mental development screening test were seen in 90% of the infants, except for anxiety with unfamiliar faces at 7 months, finger pointing at 1 year, correct picture recognition response at 1 year and 6 months, etc. 2. The items with high significance levels for chi 2 test and high sensitivity were: 4 items at 7 months of age such as anxiety with unfamiliar faces, sitting ability, parachute reaction, and others; 5 items at 10 months such as anxiety with unfamiliar faces, creeping ability, turning around and looking when called; 8 items at 1 year such as use of words with meaning, auditory imitation, finger pointing; 7 items at 1 year and 6 months such as correct picture recognition response, turning around and looking when called, auditory imitation. 3. The items effective for a screening test were selected based on clinical experience and on the following criteria: public health nurses can conveniently use them at the site of primary screening, and that the items can determine the possibility of future developmental disorders. 4. The cut off points were set for high specificity and sensitivity on scale points to which all the selected items were synthesized, and by which follow up rates were within appropriate ranges.
Conclusions:
1. Items of mental development screening test with predictive validity for future developmental disorders were selected. 2. This study showed that items related to interpersonal relationships are highly important. 3. Possibility of future developmental disorder can be better determined by using cut off points on a scale which utilizes all the selected items, rather than by using individual items separately.