NORMAL DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES - COMPARISON OF URBAN AND RURAL CHILDREN IN MADINAH, SAUDI-ARABIA

Objective: The age at which normal children acquire developmental mile stones is affected by environmental factors,including place of residen ce. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate variations in chi ld development between urban and rural settings, and to describe the e ffect of way of Living in either setting on normal child development. Method: The Revised Denver Pre-screening Developmental Questionnaire ( R-PDQ) is the tool used in the study. The sample included 1219 normal children selected randomly from urban and rural settings of Madinah, W estern Saudi Arabia. Results: Results ascertained the ages at which ch ildren achieved 104 developmental R-PDQ items. Comparison has shown cl ear differences between child development in rural and urban children. Differences were more apparent in fine motor and language abilities. Positive and negative effects of urbanization were also demonstrated i n children in both settings of Madinah. Conclusion: Stimulation and en couragement of preschool children, and better preparation for school e ntry were also recommended especially for rural children in Madinah. T he authors also recommended ''adjustment'' of developmental screening tools before applying them to children in different cultures and setti ngs. Appropriate developmental screening and intervention programs sho uld be sought, not only to identify delayed children, but also to prom ote sound development.