The Dutch Denver Developmental Screening Test in Flanders: now and in the future

The Van Wiechen Instrument (VWI), the Dutch version of the Denver Developmental Screening Test, has been used to monitor children's development from birth onward in well-baby clinics in Flanders and the Netherlands for many years. However, evidence exists that its reference values are no longer valid neither for term nor for preterm born children. Moreover, the VWI has never been validated. Therefore, we will assess the percentage of term and preterm born children aged 0-3 years attain milestones / skills in the VWI´s age-specific ranges and which risk factors are related to the attainment ages. Additionally, we will validate the VWI (based on the Developmental score) with two reference tests, and compare the results with those of Dutch children in Zeeland. We will use data from 180,000 children in Flanders and 10,000 children in Zeeland.

Keywords:neurodevelopment, monitoring, infancy, prevention

Disciplines:Community child health, Paediatric nursing