Detecting Vestibular Deficits in Early Childhood: Toward a Screening Tool for Caregivers.

AIM To identify caregiver-reported discriminative items for the early detection of children at risk for vestibular deficits.

METHODS Parents of children aged 6, 12, or 24 months completed a self-developed Vestibular Infant Screening Questionnaire and the motor subscale of the Bayley-III questionnaire. Participants were categorized into children with confirmed vestibular dysfunction (VD), children with vestibular risk factors but normal vestibular status (P), and typically developing children (N). Responses were compared across groups and age categories.

RESULTS A total of 390 questionnaires were analyzed (VD: 57, P: 255, N: 78). Parents in the VD group reported more motor difficulties than those in the P and N group. At 6 months, challenges included poor head control (p = .001), limited postural stability in prone position (p < .001), and delayed sitting (p < .001). At 12 months, children with VD ask more to be carried (p = .008). By 24 months, difficulties with walking (p = .016) and walking on uneven surfaces (p = .004) were more prevalent. Bayley-III motor subscale scores did not show significant differences between groups (p > .05).

CONCLUSION Parents consistently reported age-specific motor difficulties in children with VD. These findings highlight caregiver-reported red flags that could guide the development of a screening tool to identify children at risk for vestibular deficits.