The Efficacy of "Care for Child Development" Intervention on the Improvement of the Development Skills of Orphanage Children.

Objectives: Development refers to the progressive enhancement of skills and functional capacity, i.e., qualitative changes in the child's functions. The process of development begins before birth and continues throughout life. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Care for Child Development (CCD)" program on 4-42 months children's developmental skills in orphanages. Materials and Methods: In this study, two orphanages in the capitals of East and West Azerbaijan provinces were selected using the convenience sampling technique, and thirty children were included. Then, they were randomly divided into two intervention and control groups (each group, N=15). Next, after obtaining consent from the head of the orphanages, a group of volunteers from the healthcare center performed the CCD program, considering children's chronological ages (4 to 42 months), for three sessions a week, with each session lasting two hours and it lasted for three months. At the end of the intervention process, the Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd version (BSID-III) and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-II (ASQ) were completed for the two intervention and control groups to compare them in the cognitive, motor, communication, and personal-social domains. Results: Comparing the two control and intervention groups using the T-test (difference in mean) indicates that except for the domain of cognitive skills (Bayley: P-value = 0.176), there was statistically a significant difference between the two groups in communication (ASQ: P-value = 0.001; Bayley: P-value = 0.003), motor (ASQ: P-value = 0.000; Bayley: P-value = 0.009), and personal-social (ASQ: P-value <0.000) skills. conclusion: In the present study, it was concluded that it is required to apply interventions, including standard ones such as the CCD program in environments like orphanages, to enhance the developmental skills of those children living in them.

Comparison of the Performance of Iranian Azeri-Speaking Children Based on Iran and Reference Bayley III Norms.

Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the performance of Iranian Azeri-speaking children based on Iran and the reference of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Third Edition (Bayley III) norms. Materials & Methods: The total sample included 248 infants and toddlers aged 16 days to 42 months and 15 days. The Iranian version of the Bayley III scale was used in this study. The scaled scores and composite scores in cognitive, language, and motor domains were compared based on Iran and reference Bayley III norms. Then, the proportions of children scoring < -1 standard deviation (SD) and < -2 SD were compared based on the two norms. Results: The scaled scores of the study group were higher based on the reference norms in receptive communication, fine motor, and gross motor subtests. The scaled scores were variable in expressive communication and cognitive subtests. The differences were significant for receptive communication and fine motor subtests (P<0.05). Using the reference norms instead of Iran norms resulted in under-referral regarding receptive communication and fine motor subtests. More children scored below 1 and 2 SD using Iran norms in comparison to those reported for using the reference norms. Conclusion: Iran norms differ significantly from the reference norms over two subscales. It is recommended to use population-specific norms to identify children with developmental delay and early intervention.

Effectiveness of Care for Child Development Program on the Sensitivity and Responsiveness Skills of Mothers.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was done to analyze the impact of the "care for child development" program on the sensitivity and responsiveness skills among mothers of children at risk of developmental delay. MATERIALS & METHODS: This study was a quasi-experimental research with a pretest-posttest design and experimental and control groups. The statistical population included all mothers with children at risk of developmental delay in Tabriz. Fifty mothers were selected through purposive sampling. Then, they were divided into two groups of 25 cases (one experimental group and one control group) using simple random sampling. The experimental group received training about the "care for child development" program, while the control group received no training. The Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure Family Profile (SEAM TM family profile) and Maternal Caregiving Quality Scale were the research measurement tools. The obtained data were evaluated by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and independent t-test using SPSS software version 20. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in maternal caregiving quality and responsiveness, provision of appropriate activities, predictable programs, and provision of play environment and safe home (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: The results showed that the care for child development program has positive effects on sensitivity and responsiveness skills of mothers of children at risk of developmental delays and can be considered and applied as a practical plan in national health policies.