Developmental Delay and Disability among 0-6 Year Children in Rural and Urban Kashmir India

Background: every high risk child is most vulnerable to developmental delay, early detection of delay in this group and identification of associated prenatal, postnatal factors and there prevention can prevent disability in later life. Methods: An observational cross sectional study was conducted during the period of June 2017-Jan2018 in the clinical posting of department of physical therapy composite regional bemina Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir India. As a group of 115 objects were taken for the study at randomly developmental screening was conducted by the special trained physiotherapists using standard tools like denver developmental screening tool II, Trivandrum developmental screening chart and amiel tison method of tone assessment. Associated prenatal and postnatal factors were identified, early intervention was initiated on those detected with developmental delay. Results: Developmental delay was detected 39.1% of the study population over all incidence of developmental  delay differ significantly among the various age groups but maximum was detected in the age group of >24-36 months 22.2%, neonatal illness like sepsis pneumonia, meningitis  and convulsions also show association with developmental delay of 45 with developmental delay  8 were preterm, 34 were LBW, with history of sepsis in 9, birth asphyxia in 8, severe jaundice in 6 , convulsions in 7 and meningitis in 4 Conclusion: Incidence of developmental delay was higher in >24-36v age group and in LBW Childs, prematurity and neonatal illness are major contributors most of Childs go undetected , and early intervention of the grass root level will down   the incidence of developmental challenges and will decrease the burden of future disability in this vulnerable group.