The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care advised that all children shouldn't undergo to a test for developmental delays if they are not showing any signs of developmental problems. The new guideline was released in Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), which says that children shouldn't even take the first step in trying to diagnose any developmental problems.
Dr. Brett Thombs, who is a member of the Task Force said the new advice applies to all children ages one to four, who shows no signs of developmental delays. "If parents think their child is behind on some of their important milestones, this doesn't apply to those kids," Thombs said, according to Reuters.
Signs And Symptoms Of Developmental Delays
According to WebMD, there are many different types of developmental delays in young children. Those problems include language and speech, vision, motor skills problem, social and emotional skills and cognitive skills.
#news #Asia Don't screen all kids for developmental delays, Canadians say: Don't test children for development... https://t.co/dF5jWGnD2h
— Raj (@rajitha_viraj2) Marso 29, 2016
The Tools Cannot Help The Affected Children
Writing in CMAJ, the Task Force wrote young children showing signs of developmental delay are at the higher risk of learning difficulties in life. Later in life, the said children will also develop behavioral problems and functional impairments.
However, there are existing evidence showed that screening for developmental delays couldn't help the child's condition. The said tools had very high rates of false positives instead. Thombs explained the false positive results would only lead children with normal development to a medical examination, when in fact they don't need the medical service.
As a result, the referrals would only take that health resources away from the children who truly needs the testing. "We don't recommend parents get their kids tested unless they have any specific concerns," Thombs added.
Kids' Development Should Still Be Monitored
Thombs cleared that the new recommendation is not to discourage parents and physicians from monitoring children's development. "If they have any concerns at all, they should have their physicians check it out," he added.
