Development Status among One-Year-Old Children Referring to Urban Health Centers of Jahrom: An Assessment based on Ages and Stages Questionnaires

Developmental and behavioral disorders are among common problems in pediatric medicine. Early diagnosis of these disorders for early intervention and treatment is important. The aim of this study was to investigate the development of infants who were less than one year old based on Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) at Urban Health Centers of Jahrom city.
In this cross-sectional descriptive analytical study, 593 infants in urban health centers from Jahrom in 2015 were selected by random stratified sampling. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire for demographic information and ASQ questionnaires consisting of five domains and completed by chidren's parents. Data were analyzed in IBM SPSS Version 21 statistical software, using descriptive methods and analytical tests such as chi-square and logistic regression tests.
Of the 593 infants, 512 (86.3%) were normal and 80 (13.4%) had at least one abnormal finding. The highest developmental deficits were associated to gross motor disorders among 25 (2.4%) of the infants, followed by the domain of problem solving which accounted for 19 (2.3%) of the population. Preterm delivery) OR=4.18, 95% CI: 1.63-10.7 (, low birth weight (OR=5.17, 95% CI: 1.88-14.24), feeding via infant formula (OR=2.32, 65% CI: 0.89-6.04), high maternal age (OR=3.06, 95% CI: 0.97-9.6) and urinary tract infection (OR=3.52, 95% CI: 0.97-12.78) increased chances of deficits in the domain of problem solving. Abnormal maternal body mass index significantly increases chances of deficits in the domains of problem solving and fine motor as much as 2.84 and 3.15 times, respectively (P The study showed that despite normal developmental status in a number of chidren, a considerable number had delayed development in at least one domain. Thus, programs aimed at dealing with risk factors and continuous follow-up in terms of evaluation of these domains are essential to prevent complications in the future.