Normative data on mental and motor development in Nigerian children

Abstract

Background: In Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa at large, there has been heavy reliance on the "Caucasian data" in the developmental assessment of children. Hence, this study set out to establish normative data for psychomotor development on Nigerian children.

Study design: One hundred and twenty eight children distributed equally to eight different integrative age groups between 8 weeks and 30 months were included in the cross-sectional study. The subjects were assessed for the five fields of development using Developmental Screening Inventory (DSI) and Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID): a screening and performance instruments respectively. A trained research assistant administered the DSI on each of the subjects, and the scores made blind to the researchers until after the subject's assessment with the BSID within maximum of 24 hours interval.

Results: The subjects scored above the normal values in the five fields of development for each of the instruments. Furthermore, from the normative data derived, there were high scores in the motor and personal -social fields, especially among subjects in the lower age groups of 8,16,and 32 weeks when compared to data from the western world.

Conclusion: It is concluded that this normative data will be of much clinical value to practitioners in Nigeria, especially the pediatricians, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, etc.