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. 2021 May 26:40:e2020172.
doi: 10.1590/1984-0462/2022/40/2020172. eCollection 2021.

SCREENING FOR NEUROPSYCHOMOTOR AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN UNDER 24 MONTHS OF AGE IN THE BRAZILIAN SEMI-ARID REGION

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Artemizia Francisca de Sousa  1 , Maísa de Lima Claro  1 , Patrícia Helen Carvalho Rondó  2
Affiliations

SCREENING FOR NEUROPSYCHOMOTOR AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN UNDER 24 MONTHS OF AGE IN THE BRAZILIAN SEMI-ARID REGION

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Artemizia Francisca de Sousa et al. Rev Paul Pediatr. .

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Objective: To screen children under 24 months of age for neuropsychomotor and social-emotional development in a municipality of the Brazilian semi-arid region, using the Survey of Well-Being of Young Children (SWYC) scale.

Methods: This is a quantitative cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic sample, involving children aged 1 to 24 months and their respective mothers, recruited from primary care services in the municipality of Picos, Piauí, Northeastern Brazil. The screening for neuropsychomotor and social-emotional development using the SWYC scale also provided information about the family context. In addition, we administered a questionnaire to assess the children's demographic and socioeconomic factors. Descriptive data analysis was performed.

Results: The sample consisted mostly of adult mothers (84.0%), with more than 8 years of schooling (83.3%), belonging to the C, D, and E socioeconomic classes (75.3%). The prevalence of suspected cases of delayed neuropsychomotor development and social-emotional changes was 12.7 and 42.2%, respectively.

Conclusions: The results point to the existence of children at risk of delayed development, particularly in the social-emotional domain, reaffirming the need to adopt child development screening as a health service routine, with the implementation of appropriate intervention programs.

Objetivo:: Realizar a triagem para desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor e socioemocional em crianças menores de 24 meses, em município da região do semiárido brasileiro, utilizando a escala Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children (SWYC).

Métodos:: Estudo transversal, com abordagem quantitativa, amostra não proba­bilística, envolvendo crianças entre 1 e 24 meses e suas respectivas mães, selecionadas em serviços de saúde da atenção básica do município de Picos, Piauí. A triagem do desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor e socioemocional com uso da escala SWYC também forneceu informações sobre o contexto familiar. Além disso, utilizou-se questionário para avaliar fatores demográficos e socioeconômicos das crianças. Realizou-se a análise descritiva dos dados.

Resultados:: A amostra foi constituída de mães em sua maioria adultas (84,0%), com mais de oito anos de estudo (83,3%), pertencentes às classes socioeconômicas C, D e E (75,3%). A prevalência de casos suspeitos de atraso no desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor e de alterações socioemocionais foi de 12,7 e 42,2%, respectivamente.

Conclusões:: Os resultados apontam a existência de crianças em risco de desenvolvimento, sobretudo socioemocional, reafirmando a necessidade da adoção da triagem para desenvolvimento infantil como rotina nos serviços de saúde, com a implantação de programas de intervenção apropriados.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare there is no conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Flow chart of the number of mother-child dyads in the research.
Chart 1
Chart 1. Suspected change in social-emotional development.
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