Neurodevelopmental development with the use of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) in monitoring children’s health
Introduction. A child’s maturational development is an essential aspect in periodic health check-ups. The paediatrician carries out a comprehensive assessment of the child’s development, identifying risk factors and systematically investigates any alterations so as to be able to intervene in an early and timely manner.
Aim. To assess development with early and systematic detection and intervention by means of health check-ups.
Subjects and methods. A prospective study involving 415 children aged 0-60 months was conducted. A longitudinal follow-up was completed for 188 children in whom one or more areas of neurodevelopment had been found to be affected. Referrals, adherence to medical indications and clinical progress were analysed, and the same screening test was repeated one year later with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, third edition (ASQ-3).
Results. Of the total initial sample, 188 children were found to be at risk (45%), of whom only 24 (7%) continued with the neurodevelopmental disorder in the final sample. Communication proved to be the most affected area in both the first and the second tests. A higher prevalence of socio-environmental adversity was also found in patients who presented delayed acquisition of one or more maturational patterns and less recovery with early stimulation indications.
Conclusion. Early detection and intervention in neurodevelopment allows 83% of children to undergo improvements in the field of prevention-based health monitoring.
Key words. ASQ-3. Early detection. Maturational development. Neurodevelopment.
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