Background: Infrequent voiding is two or lower than two micturitions per day and has not any organic causes; the etiology of this condition has not been found correctly; based on this, we evaluated developmental factors as a probable etiology for infrequent voiding. Methods: In the present study, we enrolled 200 children six to seven years of age (100 cases with infrequent voiding and 100 healthy ones). Height and weight were measured, compatible with gender and age, and related information, including personal and social development, problem-solving, fine motor, gross motor, communication, and defining words, were obtained by the Nelson development table and ages and stages questionnaires. Results: Based on personal-social (P = 0.009), problem-solving (P = 0.006), communication (P = 0.008), and language development (P = 0.006), there are statistically significant differences. However, fine motor (P = 0.557) and gross motor (P = 0.607) do not differ statistically. On the other hand, in terms of growth indices, in the evaluation of girls' height (P = 0.001), boys' height (P = 0.012), girls' weight (P = 0.014), and boys' weight (P = 0.016), there is a statistically significant difference between two groups. Conclusions: Based on the measured odds ratio, children with infrequent voiding have a higher risk of developmental disorders; developmental disorders can also increase the prevalence of infrequent voiding.

Background: To provide the validated and standardized form of the Persian version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires as an appropriate developmental screening tool for evaluation of Iranian children's development.Methods: This was a cross- sectional study. Translation and back-translation, content validity determination, cultural and lingual modifications, pilot study on 100 parents and inter-rater reliability determinations were performed, respectively. The national and final stage was carried out 11000, 4-60 month- old children in selected cities throughout the country in order to determine the validity, standard deviation, reliability, sensitivity, specificity, and mean scores points of the test.Results: The reliability, determined by cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.76 to 0.86 and the inter-rater reliability was 0.93. The validity determined by factor analysis was satisfactory. The mean scores of Iranian children were identified and compared with those of the normative sample as well as with three other populations of children. The developmental status of Iranian children was higher in the communication, problem-solving and personal-social domains, especially under the age of 24 months, after which their developmental status seems to deteriorate, especially in the motor domains.Conclusion: The Persian version of the ASQ has appropriate validity and reliability for screening developmental disorders in Iran.

Objectives Baby walker is a popular device, which parents use for entertainment, keeping infants safe and walking promotion. We aimed to determine whether baby walker usage has any effect on the development using Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Materials & Methods We evaluated 107 one-yr-old infants in each baby walker user group and non-users (214 participants) using ASQ test of 12-month in Isfahan health centers for vaccination in 2017. We re-evaluated 168 infants at the age of 18-month using ASQ test of 18-month. The data of these groups were compared. Results Girls use baby walker more frequently (P=0. 02). Baby walker usage was not significantly associated with parent’ s educational state, mother employment, birth rank of infant and delivery method. The starting age of baby walker use was 6. 61 ± 1. 46 months. ASQ results in area of gross movement and fine movement were not significantly different in users and non-users at age 12 and 18 months. Conclusion Most parents believe baby walker can promote earlier walking, but based on current evidence this belief might not be true. Although most studies showed no developmental delay in baby walker users, parents should become aware of their possible negative effects and hazards.

Background & Objective: Low birth weight is considered as one the causes of infant mortality across the world. Accordingly, paying attention to neonatal growth leads to mortality rate decrement and consequently prevents future physical and mental disabilities in this age group. Materials & Methods: This historic (retrospective) cohort study was conducted on 280 one-year-old male and female infants who were divided into two equal groups of low and normal birth weights. Then, the developmental status of the neonates at the corrected age of one year was assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Data analysis was performed using SPSS 19 via t-test and multiple regression analysis. Results: Of the 280 infants examined, 142 (50. 7%) of them were male and 138 (49. 3%) were female with the mean weight of 640. 9± 2696. 9 gr, and the mean gestational age of 37. 8 ± 2. 4 weeks. Moreover, the findings revealed that the gross motor skills and the problem-solving areas had the highest levels of developmental delay in the subjects. In addition, a significant relationship was observed between the developmental delay of the neonates in different areas and the variables of birth weight, birth height, birth rate, duration of hospitalization in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), and some causes of neonatal hospitalization (P<0. 05). Conclusion: According to the results, health policymakers were recommended to pay much more attention to the assessment of the developmental status of low-weight neonates for timely diagnosis and treatment as well as the education of health care providers and parents.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: With the advancement of medical care procedures, survival rate of preterm neonates has increased remarkably. In Iran, few studies have assessed the extent and severity of developmental disorders in these infants. This study aimed to evaluate developmental disorders in premature neonates.METHODS: This cohort study was conducted on 270 premature infants born in Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran with mean birth weight of 1460±40 grams. Data on pregnancy, parturition and complications during hospitalization were recorded. Moreover, preterm neonates were evaluated in terms of developmental delay at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age based on the Ages and Stages questionnaire (ASQ).FINDINGS: In this study, symptoms of developmental delay were observed in 152 neonates (56%) at six months, 115 neonates (42.7%) at 12 months, 101 infants (37.5%) at 18 months, and 49 neonates (18%) at 24 months. In addition, abnormal development was detected in different areas, including communication (n=21, 7.8%), major movements (n=53, 19.6%), minor movements (n=74, 27.5%), social interactions (n=89, 33%), and problem solving (n=153, 57%). After a two-year follow-up, 27 infants (60%) had asphyxia, 29 (28%) had respiratory distress syndrome, and 20 infants (15%) had developmental disorders.CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, about one-sixth of preterm neonates had developmental delay at two years of age. The highest rate of developmental disorders was observed in the area of problem solving, which should be taken into account in neonatal rehabilitation services. On the other hand, appropriate monitoring of neonatal asphyxia and jaundice is likely to reduce the risk of other complications during infancy.

Background: Preterm infants often face challenges in achieving developmental milestones compared to their full-term peers. This study aimed to investigate developmental abnormalities in preterm infants up to two years of age, identify related risk factors using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study evaluated the developmental status of premature infants aged ≤ 2 years who attended the developmental clinic at Namazee Hospital, Shiraz, Iran, during the year 2020. Developmental assessments were performed by reviewing medical charts and utilizing ASQ. Developmental items of communication, gross movements, fine movements, problem solving and social interactions at the ages of 4 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months were evaluated. Results: Out of 77 studied infants, 28 (36. 4%) were girls and 49 (63. 6%) were boys with the mean gestational age of 32. 78 ± 2. 74 weeks. Developmental disorders had the highest impairment in gross movement at 12 months (77%) and the lowest impairment in communication at 4 months (39%). There was a significant correlation between social interactions and mode of delivery (p= 0. 008), problem solving with parental consanguinity (p= 0. 013), NICU admission with communication (p= 0. 04), and birth weight with fine movement (p= 0. 02) as well as folic acid consumption with gross movement (p= 0. 03). Following, pairwise comparisons revealed a significant difference in communication scores between 4 months and 48 months of age (p= 0. 033). Conclusion: Monitoring the developmental progress of preterm infants using tools like the ASQ is vital for identifying those who may require additional support.

Objective: Low birth weight (LBW or birth weight<2500g) can be one of the serious problems in children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the developmental status of LBW preterm neonates admited at neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the corrected ages of six and 12 months via the Persian version of Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ).Materials & Methods: In a follow up study, fifty LBW preterm neonates admitted to Shahid Sadoughi Hospital NICU in 2008 were evaluated for developmental status at 6 and 12 months of age using ASQ.Results: Twenty four boys and 26 girls with a mean gestational age of 31.3±2.7 weeks and a mean birth weight of 1480.3±422.8 grams were evaluated.Developmental delay in gross motor and personal social skills domains were the most prevalent abnormal developmental status at 6 and 12 months of age.Mean score in gross motor skills, personal social skills and porblem solving domains at 12 months of age were significantly higher in neonates with birth weight 1500 grams.Mean score in fine motor skills, communication and problem solving domains at 12 months of age were significantly higher in neonates who were exclusively breast fed.Conclusion: LBW and preterm infants admitted to the NICU showed degrees of developmental delay at the ages of 6 and 12 months, especially in the gross motor and personal-social developmental domains on the ASQ. So, evaluation and monitoring of development status of LBW should be emphasized for early and timely diagnosis, investigation, and management.

Background: The factors affecting children’, s growth and development have been discussed in various research studies. This study evaluates the association between growth and development of under 12-month-old children in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study uses the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) data and demographic characteristics in the child's health records of 15, 885 Iranian children in Arak city up to March 2017. The impact of growth disorder, type of delivery, preterm birth, at birth weight/height/head circumference, gross motor, problem-solving, personal-social, communication, and fine motor on the participants’,head circumference/weight/height was assessed. Unadjusted analyses were done using independent sample t-test, Pearson correlation test and one-way analysis of variance. Multiple multivariate regression was utilized for adjusted effects. P-values less than 0. 05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Head circumference was associated with growth disorder, type of delivery, and preterm birth. Children with known and unknown growth disorders had 610. 19 and 160. 58 grams less weight than those without any growth disorder. Gross motor and personal-social aspects of ASQ were found to be associated with weight at the age of 12-month old. Height at 12-months was affected by growth disorder, gross motor, personal-social, communication, and fine motor. Conclusion: Results of this study show that cesarean type of delivery, preterm birth, and low birth weight are the impacting factors associated with negative children growth trends and lower developmental status at the age of 12 months.