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Original Article

Instability of revised Korean Developmental Screening Test classification in first year of life

Ji Eun Jeong¹  , Yon Min Kim¹  , Na Won Lee¹  , Gyeong Nam Kim²  , Jisuk Bae³  , Jin Kyung Kim¹ 

¹Department of Pediatrics, Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
²Child Developmental & Psychological Test Laboratory, Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
³Department of Preventive Medicine, Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea

Correspondence Jin Kyung Kim ,Tel: 82536504597, Fax: 82536504243, Email: kimjk@cu.ac.kr

Received: April 7, 2024; Revised: July 22, 2024   Accepted: July 22, 2024.

Abstract

Background
Early development is characterized by considerable variability.
Purpose
To investigate the stability of the revised Korean Developmental Screening Test (K-DST) classification of the development of healthy term 4–6 and 10–12 month-old infants.
Methods
This study used data from the Korean Children’s Environmental Health study, a nationwide prospective birth cohort study. Sixty-nine healthy term infants (26 boys, 43 girls) underwent two serial tests at 4–6 and 10–12 months of age between August 2017 and December 2019. We divided the entire group into three categories according to the revised K-DST cut-off points.
Results
At 4–5 months, more than 50% of infants were categorized into the ≥-1 standard deviations (SD) group. The lowest prevalence (52.7%) was observed in the gross motor domain. Seven infants (10.1%) scored below -2 SD in at least one domain. The prevalence of scores below -2 SD was 7.3% in the gross and fine motor domains. At 10–12 months, >70% were as categorized into the ≥-1 SD group except in the language domain. Six infants (9.5%) scored below -2 SD in at least one domain. The prevalence of scores below -2SD was 4.8%, 3.2%, 3.2% in the cognition, language, and gross motor domains, respectively. On serial follow-up for 4–12 months, a significant number of infants improved to the peer and high-level group (≥-1 SD), especially in the gross motor domain (33.3%). Among the seven infants who scored below -2 SD at 4–5 months, only two had -2 SD scores at 10–12 months.
Conclusion
For infants presenting with suspected developmental delay on the revised K-DST 4–5 months questionnaire, especially in the gross motor domain, in the absence of any abnormal neurological findings or developmental red flags, close monitoring and repeated assessments should be performed.

Keywords :K-DST, Infant, Development, Developmental screening