Parents' estimation of psychomotor development in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants.
BACKGROUND
Within a longitudinal developmental surveillance project we tested the accuracy of the Revised Prescreening Developmental Questionnaire (R-PDQ) to detect developmental retardation in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants.


METHODS
Seventy surviving VLBW-infants born between July 1992 and December 1993 were re-examined at 6 months corrected age. The parent-completed questionnaires (n = 67) were compared with developmental assessment using the Griffiths Developmental Scale.


RESULTS
At 6 months corrected age, normal results of the Griffiths Developmental Scale (developmental quotient > or = 81) were found in 61/67 (91%) VLBW-infants and in 45/67 (67%) questionnaires (no or one 'delay'). The parents identified all six infants with psychomotor retardation on the Griffiths Developmental Scale (co-positivity 100%). However, only 45/61 infants with normal development were so identified with the R-PDQ (co-negativity 74%, positive predictive value 27%).


CONCLUSIONS
The R-PDQ discovered all infants whose developmental quotient was two standard deviations below the mean on the Griffiths Developmental Scale. The relatively high proportion of false positive R-PDQ results corresponded to lower developmental quotients within the normal range. Therefore, the R-PDQ provides a useful screening instrument for VLBW-infants.
Heiser
A
A
Department of Neonatology, Virchow University Children's Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
Grimmer
I
I
Metze
B
B
Obladen
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires