EXPLORING PRACTICES RELATED TO WELL VISITS FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS IN SAUDI ARABIA

A. Gmmash¹, N. Faquih²

¹King Abdulaziz University, Physical Therapy, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, ²King Abdulaziz University, Speech Therapy, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background: Early detection of delays is imperative for early diagnosis and referral to any needed rehabilitation services. Attending regular well-visits (sometimes referred to as preventative health care visits during the first three years of the infants' and toddlers' lives is important to detect early delays. There is a lack of studies exploring the current followed practices related to well-visits to detect motor delays in infants' and toddlers' first three years of life.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore current healthcare providers' recommendations related to well-visits for early detection of delays in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Two surveys were created based on a literature review and pilot interviews. Face validity was established for both surveys. The first one targeted healthcare providers, and the second survey targeted the caregivers of infants and toddlers. Convenient sampling was used to recruit participants in this study.

Results: A total of 30 healthcare providers and 109 caregivers participated in this study. Most of the healthcare providers were females (56%), specialized in family medicine(43%), have more than 5 years of experience (56%), and all of them are currently practicing in Saudi Arabia. The majority of the providers (63%) stated that the most common reason(s) infants/toddlers visit their clinic in their first three years of life is an illness, followed by immunization (60%). Only two providers (6%) recommended more than five well visits for healthy infants and toddlers between the ages of 0-3 years. Only (10%) of the providers always provide educational resources related to typical development to caregivers. Thirty percent of providers always explain growth charts at well-visits. Most of the participants were mothers (68%). Approximately, half of the participants (54%) stated that they do not consistently follow up with the same physician. Less than half of the caregivers (40%) revealed that they take their infants/toddlers for a total of four or fewer times during their infants’/toddlers’ first three years. Most of the caregivers (71%) stated that their infants/toddlers’ providers did not provide them with any brochures and information regarding typical developmental milestones.

Conclusions: Exploratory data obtained from caregivers and healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia shows that the number of recommended well visits is not unified. This could lead to the dismissal of early signs of motor delays and hinder any opportunities for early interventions.

Implications: There is a need to increase the caregivers’ awareness about the importance of well-visits.
Health care providers should encourage caregivers to attend well-visits and educate them about typical and atypical development to enable them to advocate for their children’s health.

Funding acknowledgements: N/A

Keywords:
Early detection
Motor delays
Infants and toddlers

Topics:
Paediatrics
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Service delivery/emerging roles

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: King Abdulaziz university

Committee: Faculty of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences

Ethics number: FMRS-EC2021-SU1