Triggers to action on child developmental concerns

Abstract

If you want to know if a pre-school child is developing normally just ask their parents whether they are concerned…right? Yes, this approach is regularly used by health care professionals who work with parents to assess normal growth and development as part of preventative child health services. However, this approach is not always successful and parents may be reluctant to express their concerns to a doctor or nurse. So, do we know what triggers parents to go and seek help about a growth or development concern? Well no, because most of the studies already conducted have been about trying to measure parents concern about child growth and development. Assessing normal child development is challenging not least because children grow rapidly and often in spurts. Developmental delays are relatively common but not all of them indicate developmental disabilities. However, it is important for any delays in growth or development to be ...