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Developmental monitoring: benefits of a preventive health care system

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European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study aims to assess the identification rates in a developmental monitoring system (i.e., preventive child healthcare, PCH system) regarding identification of emotional, behavioral (EB) problems, cognitive developmental and family problems in children, and the contribution of such a system to referral to (specialized) mental health and social care services. Over a predetermined period of 6 months, we retrieved data from a random sample of 1370 children aged 0 to 18 years from the registries of two PCH organizations in the Netherlands. We assessed the degree to which PCH professionals identify EB and cognitive developmental and family problems and invite children with these problems for follow-up PCH assessments or refer them to (specialized) mental health and social care services. Among preschool-aged children, we identified 22% with EB problems, cognitive developmental and/or family problems (mainly EB and family problems). Among school-aged children, numbers varied from 10 to 14% (mainly EB). PCH invited 3 to 10%, varying in proportions of child age, for a follow-up assessment, and referred 0 to 4% of the children to external services.

Conclusion: A developmental monitoring system with only preventive tasks may help to identify children with EB, cognitive developmental, and/or family problems. This can lead to early support for most of these children, with low referral rates to (more specialized) mental health and social care services. Our findings deserve validation in comparable settings and in other countries.

What is Known:

• Well-child care requires monitoring of the health and development of children for timely identification of problems and subsequent intervention.

• The Dutch Preventive Child Healthcare system is an example of a developmental monitoring system with only preventive tasks.

What is New:

• A developmental monitoring system with only preventive tasks may help to identify children with problems, resulting in early support for the majority.

• This may reduce referral rates to (more specialized) mental/social health services.

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Availability of data and material

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Code availability

N/A.

Abbreviations

EB:

Emotional behavioral

CHP:

Child healthcare professional

KIVPA:

Short Indicative Questionnaire for Psychosocial problems among Adolescents

PCH:

Preventive child healthcare

SDQ:

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

SES:

Socioeconomic status

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Funding

The original research received financial support from the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). No honorarium, grant, or other form of payment was given to anyone to produce the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. TNO Child Health, P. O. Box 3005, 2301 DA, Leiden, Netherlands

    Meinou H. C. Theunissen, Janine Bezem, Sijmen A. Reijneveld & Mariska Klein Velderman

  2. Department Preventive Youth Health Care, Municipal Health Service Gelderland-Midden, Gelderland-Midden, Netherlands

    Janine Bezem

  3. University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Health Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

    Sijmen A. Reijneveld

Authors
  1. Meinou H. C. Theunissen
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  2. Janine Bezem
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  3. Sijmen A. Reijneveld
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  4. Mariska Klein Velderman
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Contributions

All the authors (MT, JB, SR, MKV) contributed substantially to the conception and design of the study, and to the writing of the paper. All the authors approved the final manuscript and accept full responsibility for the design and the conduct of the study, and all had access to the data. All the authors approved the decision to publish.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Meinou H. C. Theunissen.

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Ethics approval

Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Medical Research Ethics Committee (METC) of Leiden University Medical Center.

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Informed consent was not deemed necessary by the METC concerned.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Communicated by Gregorio Paolo Milani

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Theunissen, M.H.C., Bezem, J., Reijneveld, S.A. et al. Developmental monitoring: benefits of a preventive health care system. Eur J Pediatr 181, 3617–3623 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-022-04577-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-022-04577-7

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