Listening to parents' concerns: three case examples of infants with developmental motor delays.

PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this clinical report was to compare parents' concerns about their infants' suspected motor delays with scores on the Harris Infant Neuromotor Test (HINT) and the Bayley-II Motor Scale. The second purpose was to determine whether there was agreement in categorizing the delays on the 2 tests.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

Three female infants with parent-identified concerns of motor delay were assessed on the HINT and Bayley-II Motor Scale. All showed significant delays, corroborating parental concerns. On the HINT, all scored >2 SD above the mean, being categorized as significantly delayed. On the Bayley-II Motor Scale, all demonstrated significantly delayed motor performance, ie, >2 SD below the mean.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Pediatric physical therapists should listen to parents' concerns about their infants with suspected motor delays and provide assessments to address these concerns. When appropriate, these infants should be referred for early intervention services.