title: CDC Kerala 4: TDSC items based developmental therapy package among low birth weight babies--outcome at 18 months using DASII.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of Trivandrum Developmental Screening Chart (TDSC) items based intervention package developed at Child Development Centre, Kerala on the developmental outcome of children at 18 mo of age using Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian Infants (DASII) and compare the same in different birth weight groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred consecutive discharges from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Sree Avittam Thirunal hospital, were recruited and followed up till 18 mo of age including 240 low birth weight (LBW;<2,500 g) babies and 260 normal birth weight babies. All 240 LBW babies were offered early intervention at monthly intervals till 12 mo of age, whereas the normal birth weight (NBW) group received only immunization service as per the routine of the hospital. The early intervention package for the low birth weight group was designed based on Trivandrum Developmental Screening Chart (TDSC 0-2 y) items delay. At 18 mo of age both the groups were offered developmental assessment using DASII by specially trained and experienced developmental therapists who were blind to the intervention status of the babies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was observed that the LBW (<2,500 g) group, who received intervention had a DASII mental age of 18.31 as against 18.16 in the NBW (≥2,500 g) group and mental DQ 101.84 (LBW group) and 98.65 (NBW group) and the observed differences were not statistically significant. Similarly, the LBW, who received intervention group had a DASII motor age of 18.68 as against 18.47 in the NBW group and motor DQ 139.40 (LBW group) and 135.39 (NBW group) and the observed differences were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this TDSC based intervention package among low birth weight babies showed that at 18 mo of age there was no statistically significant difference in the developmental outcome using DASII, between low birth weight babies on intervention and the normal birth weight babies without any intervention.
authors.affiliation: Child Development Centre, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, 695011, Kerala, India, cdcmkc@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M K C
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Rajee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Harikumaran Nair
authors.forename: Deepa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bhaskaran
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Leena
authors.forename: Babu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Paul Swamidhas Sudhakar
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male