The Child Development Inventory: A developmental outcome measure for follow-up of the high-risk infant.

Abstract

To examine the validity of the Child Development Inventory (CDI) compared with other commonly used measures of developmental outcomes in high-risk infants. Primary caregivers of 63 toddlers and preschoolers enrolled at a routine neonatal high-risk follow-up clinic completed a CDI describing their children. Only those with successfully completed CDIs were included in the analysis (n = 43). The CDI General Development Developmental Quotient was compared with the Clinical Adaptive Test/Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale (CAT/CLAMS) and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd Edition (BSID-II). Significant correlations were found between the CDI, the CAT/CLAMS (r =.87, P <.001), and the BSID-II (r =.86, P <.001). There were no significant correlations between the CDI and parent education and income. Findings revealed high sensitivity (80% to 100%) and specificity (94% to 96%) for the CDI. The CDI appears to be a useful and cost-effective screening measure for determining developmental outcomes among high-risk infants.