INFANTS DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONE PATTERN OF SHIRAZ (IRAN) IN RELATION TO THE DENVER CHART

This paper presents standardized norms of child development in Shiraz (Iran). A birth cohort of317 randomly selected neonates born at the 14 maternity clinics of Shiraz during 2 random consecutive weeks in 1996 were followed at homes for 2 years at 12 designed occasions and their development examined by 2 trained public health officers and a community medicine expert. In gross-motor and personal-social sectors, girls were earlier than boys in "crying", "head control" and social smile items respectively. In fine motor-adaptive sector boys showed more advancement in the "thumb-finger grasp" and "pass cubes" items. Boys development in language, personal- social and fine motor-adaptive sectors were earlier than girls in items "ooo/aaah", "papa, mama", "recognize relatives", "look for yarn", "recognize own nipple and bottle" respectively. The rest of the items passed by boys and girls were the same in both groups and not favoured to anyone. The subjects developed slower than the Denver sample in one item in fine motor-adaptive and personal-social sector. However, Shiraz infants were earlier than Denver ones in the item of other sectors, but, in general, no statistically significant differences were detected. The paper concludes that the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST), in general, is a valid developmental screening instrument which may be used in Iran with the adjustments presented. Public health nurses may apply these key item skills, in that the use of a standard gives them an increased insight into child development.