Do the Children of Mothers with Optimum PICCOLO Scores Have Better Denver II Test Results?

AIM: Positive parenting skills, especially mother-child interactions, are associated with positive effects in countless areas of child development. We aimed to evaluate mother-child interactions in children with developmental delay compared to those with age-appropriate development. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Children aged 1-5 years admitted to the outpatient clinic for child health supervision were evaluated for the study. A 10-minute video recording was obtained while the participant mother-child couple played together in a room. Children were divided into 3 developmental groups using the Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST-II); as age-appropriate, questionable, and delayed. Mother-child interaction was assessed using the "Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes" (PICCOLO) tool. RESULTS: A total of 142 children, whose developmental status was evaluated according to DDST-II and were grouped as age-appropriate (59), questionable (39), and delayed (44), were included in the study. The mean age of the children was 29.0 ± 11.9 months. The median PICCOLO score was 43 (interquartile range (IQR)=36-47) in the age-appropriate developmental group, 44 (IQR=35-51) in the questionable group, and 36 (IQR=32-45) in the delayed group. When adjusted for child's age, gender, presence of a sibling, maternal age, mother's education level, mother's occupation, and household size, multiple logistic regression revealed higher rates for optimum responsiveness and encouragement domains, and total scores in age-appropriate and questionable groups, than in the delayed development group (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Supporting all areas, especially the responsive and encouragement domains in mother-child interactions, may improve child development.

Gross motor development of preschool children: effects of socioeconomic status and maternal education.

Motor development reflects the general health status of the child and affects other areas of development. It is influenced by biological and family characteristics especially in infancy and early childhood, and by environmental conditions in preschool age. We assessed the effect of several family and environment characteristics on gross motor developmental items included in the Denver-II test on 2,042 healthy children. Increasing maternal age and education were associated with later achievement in several items after age 12 months while socioeconomic status, sex and birth rank did not show a clear effect. Our observations suggest in a relatively homogenous urban population, few external factors affect gross motor development in preschool children.

Mother-child interaction and the development status of children who have been accidentally poisoned.

Positive parent-child interaction, in particular bond between mother and child, is important for the mental and behavioral development of children. The aim of this study was to evaluate both mother-child interactions as well as the developmental status of children admitted to the pediatric emergency department with accidental poisoning using Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes tool (PICCOLO) and Denver Developmental Screening Test-II (DDST-II). Children between ages 1 to 5 years who were admitted to the emergency department with accidental poisoning were included in the study alongside a control group selected from healthy volunteers. A ten-minute video recording was obtained both for the case and control groups, while the mother and her child played together in a separate room. The interaction of mother-infant pair was assessed using the PICCOLO tool. The children`s development was examined using the DDST-II. The video recordings of 115 children (n=65 in the case group and n=50 in the control group) were evaluated. A high score of PICCOLO-teaching domain (≥9 points) was associated with a 3.3-fold increase in terms of risk of poisoning [p < 0.05, at 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.34-8.37]. Multivariable analysis revealed that the PICCOLO-teaching domain was a significant factor. A high proportion of cases had either abnormal or questionable DDST-II scores (p < 0.05). In order to improve the bond between mother and child, drug poisoning prevention training must be meticulously provided to both mothers and children alike. Developmental assessments of these children as a holistic approach also should not be forgotten.

Screening 5 and 6 year-old children starting primary school for development and language.

Beginning school is an important milestone for children. Children's readiness for school involves cognitive, physical, and emotional development. Certain school programs allow children to start first grade after 66 months of age, together with 72 month-old children. In order to estimate school readiness, we screened children before starting first grade and compared their school performance according to their age and socio-demographic characteristics. Marmara School Readiness, Denver II developmental screening, and language assessment tests were applied. Language delays were more frequent and school readiness test scores were lower in the younger group compared to older children. However, school achievement did not differ between the two age groups. Preschool education, parental income and education affected performance in most tests. Preschool screening seems effective in detecting children with lower than average developmental skills, and the school system may provide a practical opportunity for providing support to those children.

Screening preschool children for fine motor skills: environmental influence.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of gender and family factors on performance in the fine motor domain of the Denver II developmental screening test. [Subjects and Methods] Data were obtained from 2038 healthy children, 999 boys (49%) and 1039 girls (51%) in four age groups: 0-24 months (57%), 25-40 months (21.1%), 41-56 months (10.4%), and 57-82 months (11.5%). [Results] Female gender, higher maternal age, especially in children older than 24 months, and higher maternal education were associated with earlier accomplishment of fine motor items. Higher socioeconomic status was correlated with fine motor skills more noticeably at young ages. [Conclusion] The results of this study support the role of environmental factors in the interpretation of fine motor test results and point to target groups for intervention, such as infants in the low socioeconomic group and preschool children of less educated mothers. Studies in different populations may reveal particular patterns that affect child development.

A study of language development and affecting factors in children aged 5 to 27 months.

We conducted a study to assess the factors that affect language development in infants and toddlers using data obtained during developmental screening. Our study group consisted of 505 children-244 (48.3%) boys and 261 (51.7%) girls, aged 5 to 27 months. The children were divided into four age groups: group 1, which we designated as the "6 months" group (age range: 5 to 7 mo); group 2, designated as the "12 months" group (11 to 13 mo); group 3, designated as the "18 months" group (17 to 19 mo); and group 4, designated as the "24 months" group (23 to 27 mo). In addition to demographic data, we compiled data using the Denver II Developmental Screening Test, as well as neurologic examination findings and medical histories. At 6 months, the social item "Works for toy out of reach" was positively related to all language development items. Two gross motor development items-"Pull to sit, no head lag" and "Lifts chest with arm support"-were related to the "Turns to sound" and "Turns to voice" items, respectively. Overall, children whose mothers had higher education levels and who were living in higher socioeconomic areas showed significantly greater language development, as did boys, specifically. At 12 months, higher maternal ages, some gross motor development items, and some social items were related to better language development, and children living in higher socioeconomic areas had a significantly increased ability to pass the "4 words other than mama/dada" item. At 18 months, the ability of girls to pass the "4 words other than mama/dada" item increased, and children who passed the "4 words other than mama/dada" item did not pass the "Throws ball" gross motor item. At 24 months, children whose mothers were older had better "Combines 2 words" and "Speech half intelligible" items, girls had better "Comprehends prepositions (such as under/above)" skills, and boys had better "Shows 4 parts of doll" skills. We conclude that language items appear to change together with gross motor items and social development, and that they can be influenced by a family's socioeconomic level. However, as children get older, language development diverges from gross motor development.

Language development and affecting factors in 3- to 6-year-old children.

The aim of this study was to assess factors affecting language developmental screening test results in 33.0- to 75.0-month-old children. The study group consists of 402 children, 172 (42.8%) boys and 230 (57.2%) girls, aged 33.0-75.0 months who were examined in four age groups: 3 years (33.0-39.0 months), 4 years (45.0-51.0 months), 5 years (57.0-63.0 months) and 6 years (69.0-75.0 months). Demographic data and medical history obtained by a standard questionnaire and Denver II Developmental Test results were evaluated. Maternal factors such as mother's age, educational level, and socioeconomic status (SES) correlated with language items in all age groups. Linear regression analysis indicated a significant effect of mother's education and higher SES on certain expressive and receptive language items at 3 and 4 years. Fine motor items were closely related to language items at all ages examined, while in the younger (3- and 4-year-old) group gross motor items also were related to language development. Maternal and socioeconomic factors influence language development in children: these effects, already discernible with a screening test, can be potential targets for social and educational interventions. The interpretation of screening test results should take into account the interaction between fine motor and language development in preschool children.

Can preschool developmental screening identify children at risk for school problems?

Screening preschool children for potential school problems may allow early intervention. Children beginning first grade (N=980) were tested with Denver II. All with normal/questionable results had satisfactory school performance while 26% of those with abnormal Denver II had low school scores. 43%, 27% and 0% of children with abnormal, questionable, and normal Denver II respectively had IQ<90 on WISC-R (p=0.05). Preschool Denver II can be recommended for populations at risk.