Is the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Valid for Screening Premature Children?

The ASQ misses premature children at risk for mental and psychomotor delays at a corrected age of 1 year.

Developmental screening tools are used to assess infants and toddlers, including those born prematurely, but studies of the performance of these tools have been limited to term and very premature infants. Researchers examined the validity of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) for identifying preterm children (born at 29–36 weeks' gestation) at risk for developmental delay at corrected ages of 12 and 24 months. Most mothers were Canadian, educated, and not poor. Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II) scores <85% were used as the reference for developmental delay.

Scores on the ASQ communication, problem-solving, and personal-social domains were compared with scores on BSID's Mental Development Index (MDI); ASQ scores on the gross …

Reviewing Author

Cornelius W. Van Niel, MD

Disclosures

EquityMedtronic; Express Scripts; Johnson & Johnson; Merck

Cornelius W. Van Niel, MD

Disclosures

EquityMedtronic; Express Scripts; Johnson & Johnson; Merck