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Child Health and Parental Stress in School-Age Children With a Preschool Diagnosis of Developmental Delay

Children's Hospital Educational Research Institute, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Sydney, Australia

Annette Majnemer, PhD, OT

Department of Neurology/Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Robert W. Platt, PhD

Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Michael I. Shevell, MD, CM, FRCPC

Department of Neurology/Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Department of Pediatrics, , McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, michael.shevell{at}muhc.mcgill.ca

Chronic disorders are known to have a wide-ranging impact on overall health and family dynamics. The objective of this study was to assess child health and well-being and parental stress in a cohort of school-age children diagnosed before school entry with either global developmental delay or developmental language impairment. In total, 65 children with preschool developmental delay were assessed at school age (mean ± SD age: 7.3 ± 0.7 years) with the Child Health Questionnaire and Parenting Stress Index, with a mean interval between assessment of 3.9 years. Almost all children who completed testing (60/62) continued to show developmental impairments across domains. On the Child Health Questionnaire, children showed the greatest impairment on the mental health scale (median z score: —0.9). The median Child Health Questionnaire psychosocial health score (40.7) was almost 1 SD below established normative values ( P < .001). More than 40% of parents had a Parenting Stress Index above the 85th percentile (clinically significant parenting stress). Using multiple linear regression analysis, high levels of parenting stress were best predicted by a child's Child Health Questionnaire psychosocial health score (r ² = 0.49, P < .001). Thus, 4 years after a preschool-age diagnosis of developmental delay, poor psychosocial health was a common comorbidity. Almost half the parents showed clinically significant levels of parenting stress. There is a need to both recognize and provide ongoing social and emotional support for young children diagnosed with developmental disability and their families.

Key Words: developmental delay • child health • parental stress

Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 23, No. 1, 32-38 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0883073807307977


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