Date Presented 04/04/2025
Study investigated feasibility of using A-ASQ3 to identify developmental delays in preterm infants. Findings indicate 81.8% of preterm infants were at risk of developmental delays, showing A-ASQ3’s potential as a screening tool for early intervention
Primary Author and Speaker: Turki Aljuhani
Additional Authors and Speakers: Reem ASSALIM, RUYUF ALGHAMDI
Contributing Authors: MONERAH ALHARRAN ALHARRAN, RAZAN ALOUSHAN ALOUSHAN, Waad Aljurayyad, Rakan Alshehri
PURPOSE: Preterm birth is a major global health concern, with infants at increased risk for developmental delays. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of the Arabic version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (A-ASQ3) as a screening tool for developmental delays in preterm infants.
DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital in Saudi Arabia. Participants were preterm infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and their parents.
METHOD: A-ASQ3, translated and validated in Arabic, was used to assess developmental domains in 22 preterm infants at 3 months corrected age. Parents completed the questionnaire after receiving informed consent. Data on clinical conditions, length of NICU stay, and demographics were collected from medical records and parental reports. Descriptive statistics (means and SD) and inferential tests (correlation) were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS: The majority of participants were very preterm (68%). A significant proportion (81.82%) were at high risk of developmental delays in at least one domain, with gross motor (63.6% at risk/high risk) and fine motor skills (81.8% at risk/high risk) most affected. Infants in the ‘risk’ group exhibited higher prevalence of respiratory distress syndrome and steroid use.Length of NICU stay showed a marginally significant association with communication outcomes (p = 0.053).
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the feasibility and potential utility of the A-ASQ3 for identifying preterm infants at risk of developmental delays. Early detection using A-ASQ3 can facilitate timely intervention and improve long-term outcomes for this vulnerable population.
IMPACT STATEMENT: This study has the potential to improve early detection and early access to occupational therapy services for infants with developmental delays. Thus, significantly improve developmental outcomes and enhance the quality of life for these infants and their families.
References
Chen, Z., Xiong, C., Liu, H. et al. Impact of early term and late preterm birth on infants’ neurodevelopment: evidence from a cohort study in Wuhan, China. BMC Pediatr 22, 251 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03312-3
Agarwal, P. K., Xie, H., Sathyapalan Rema, A. S., Rajadurai, V. S., Lim, S. B., Meaney, M., & Daniel, L. M. (2020). Evaluation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ 3) as a developmental screener at 9, 18, and 24 months. Early human development, 147, 105081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2020.105081
Al-Hindi M. Y., Almahdi B. H., Alasmari D. A., et al. Screening for Neurodevelopmental Delay for Preterm Very Low Birth Weight Infants at Tertiary Care Center in Saudi Arabia. Cureus. 2021;13(12):e20092. Published 2021 Dec 1. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.20092
