Introduction
Pediatrics will always do a development history summary. The purpose of development history taking is to analyze key growth milestones. According to Hart, Bax, and Jenkins, development history taking normally takes account of a child’s milestones. It is a form of development assessment. The question of why it is important is answered comprehensively by pediatric perspectives concerning the same, that, the value of a child’s early milestones serves as a prognostic parameter and provides a viewpoint of how the child has developed during a period when he was not under medical observation.
Background Information
The child who has had a normal birth and has shown little physical-social development problems is certainly a healthy baby. The development history form filled by a parent or guardian comprehensively provides a pediatrician with clues about the child’s milestones during the period he was not under medical surveillance. Any anomaly, illness, or conditional problem that arose during such a time is critically examined and further investigated to establish if subsequent conditions were manifested and the psychological or medical problem might have been caused and remained un-diagnosed. It is commonplace; a disease may silently manifest itself and remain un-diagnosed. It is very common for pediatricians to recommend psychiatric assessments in cases where a child shows erratic physical –social behavior.
On our ‘child development history’ health form, the child shows a history of temperament and gradual development of erratic psychological instability. On the form, it is evident that the child spends a lot of time with the house help then with the parents. Interestingly, the mother is not employed yet she does not spend time with the child. On the other hand, the house-help seems to be closer to the child but the child is gradually becoming aggressive and distant. Such a situation requires a psychiatric examination to determine the cause of this problem. However, the child has never had any serious congenital problem in his medical history to cause alarm.
Childs Development History Literature Review
Lack of attention and abuse are suspects of children’s psychological impairment. While developing social cognitive skills is vital in the child’s growth and development, abuse by parents and caregivers, specially appointed guardians, and housemaids are blamed for many percentages of child psychological impairment conditions. The child’s walking has been literary normal though the mother complains it took longer than other children she had. While such snippets of information are critical in solving the puzzle, a child’s milestones are usually recorded when the mother memorizes past events. This provides a window of inaccuracies since the mother is inclined to have forgotten crucial aspects of the development history and instead only provides insight about the child’s basic milestones like walking, sitting, and clapping.
This makes development history taking a very rough but worthwhile practice of finding out about the child’s early growth and development and subsequent milestones. Pediatrics anamnesis time demonstrates parents as only observant of development, where critical skills and psycho-motor responses are visible, like walking, seeing, hearing, and responding, but sadly have little or no memory of when the child started sitting.
According to Hart, Bax, and Jenkins, the most recalled milestones are smiling, walking, speech, naming persons and objects, and sitting (Hart, Bax, & Jenkins, 1978, p, 442-444). There are major problems associated with failure to develop such skills. However, the main problem lies with the causative agent, especially where a normal child is a cohort. The chance of prolonged exposure to constrained socio-economic conditions might cause stuttered growth and development while being subjected to undue pressure by caregivers, especially house-help and parents who might be going through a crisis might impair the child. Living conditions allow the development of key social-cognitive skills. The theory of moral development stipulates how the environment and immediate caregivers including parents, other children, and society influence the development of moral behavior and social-cognitive skills.
Temperament is a psychological problem that results from prolonged exposure to harsh psychological conditions. Harsh parents, less attentive parents and friends, beating and abuse, poor communication between the child and the caregivers, and lack of attention from important people especially parents. Being un-appreciated and constant lambasting causes erratic behavior in children. The erratic, aggressive behavior coupled with high temperament is indicative of a disorder, though it usually denotes a cry for attention.
It is important to note that there are risks and developmental “complications” associated with each aspect of developmental history. It is important to note that these deficits in these areas result or evolve into specific disorders and medical diseases later in the child’s development. It is important to note that, these disorders can result in long-term conditions.
Maria-Mengel and Linhares conducted a descriptive correlational study that sought to identify risks for children’s development problems in the first four years of age. Using logistical regression analysis, they found out that, the father’s education level determined development problems, with lowly educated fathers posing high risks of development (Maria-Mengel & Linhares, 2007, p, 837). They also found out that risks to child development could be inherent. This means the children could be the cause of the problems and that (biological components, temperament, and symptoms could be inherited from parents or the family lineage). The environment could be a main culprit and cause (socioeconomic level, social support, education, and cultural context playing the main culprit in influencing and inflicting retarded social-cognitive development) (Maria-Mengel & Linhares, 2007, p, 838).
Risks and subsequent conditions noted as prevalent when development is impaired or constrained include severe psychosocial impairment, poor social-cognitive skills development, lack of confidence, low-self esteem, temperament, poor learning skills, and slow learning. Lack of expressive language, interpersonal skills, and assertiveness may not develop in a child, whose development is hampered by such problems as poor home environment, fewer toys, economic constraints, etc. Maria-Mengel & Linhares reported family matters and personal, financial, or work difficulties as sources of stress for young children (Maria-Mengel & Linhares, 2007, p, 840). Research developing around the subject, point out family environment with fewer resources and higher adversity is a causative agent of constrained development. The environment could be marred by problems such as interpersonal relationships, which can inhibit a child’s emotional and behavioral development (Maria-Mengel & Linhares, 2007, p, 840).
To reduce the risk of development Dr. Carter proposes consistent medical examination. Regular development history taking and a pediatric examination are important. Dr. Crater singles out developmental follow-up for high-risk infants to observe their development keenly and subsequently, identify anomalies and conditions that may be manifesting. She explains that it should involve periodic screening which should focus on screening core psychomotor and social-cognitive development of the child. The screening should check for sensory impairment and any developmental delays. The doctor should also check for any other condition considered a risk to the infant (Carter, 2001). She suggests comprehensive follow-up by the pediatrician. This follow-up should involve close evaluation of the child’s medical, psychological, and social history and performance (Carter, 2001).
Reference List
Carter, S. (2001). Developmental follow-up of pre-term infants at high risk for delays.Premature Baby Premature Child, 4, Web.
Hart, H, Bax, M, Jenkins, S. (1978). The Value of a developmental history. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 20(4), Web.
Maria-Mengel, M, & Linhares, M. (2007). Risk factors for infant developmental problems.Revisit Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 15. Web.