Prematurity and Older Age Linked to Higher Neurodevelopmental Disorder Risk in Children: South Indian Study
A recent community-based study published in the Indian Journal of Neonatal Medicine and Research in December 2026 revealed that 8.4% of South Indian children aged 1–12 are screen-positive for neurodevelopmental disorders. Risk escalates over fourfold in older children and more than doubles following preterm birth, uncovering a major pediatric health burden.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs) cause significant functional deficits, yet prior Indian research relied on fragmented, single-disorder tools or localized cohorts. To address the lack of community-wide, multi-domain screening data across urban and rural South India, Dr. Sundar Bhavani, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, and colleagues evaluated screen-positive prevalence and risk factors across a broad pediatric age group.
Therefore, the 10-month community-based study evaluated 730 children aged 1–12 years across Puducherry and Tamil Nadu using the Developmental Psychopathology Checklist. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine primary screen-positive prevalence and evaluate secondary demographic and perinatal risk predictors.
Key Clinical Findings of the Study Include:
- Overall Screen-Positive Rate: Investigators identified an overall screen-positive NDD rate of 8.4% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 6.4%–10.4%), with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, 3.8%) and developmental delay (3.0%) representing the most prevalent domain deficits.
- Age-Dependent Risk Increase: Researchers demonstrated that children aged 5–8 years (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 3.580, 95% CI: 1.728–7.415; p = 0.001) and 9–12 years (aOR = 4.200, 95% CI: 1.981–8.909; p < 0.001) possessed higher odds of screening positive compared to toddlers aged 1–4 years.
- Impact of Prematurity: The authors established that gestational prematurity served as an independent predictor, conferring a more than twofold elevation in screen-positive odds compared to term delivery (aOR = 2.368, 95% CI: 1.113–5.035; p = 0.025).
- Geographic and Gender Variations: Analysis revealed higher crude rates in urban centers (9.3%) than in rural areas (7.2%) and in males (10.1%) than in females (6.5%), though multivariable modeling confirmed these demographic differences were not statistically significant.
- Domain Co-occurrence Burden: Data indicated that nearly one in four screen-positive pediatric cases (24.59%) met screening cut-offs across multiple neurodevelopmental domains simultaneously.
The results suggest that neurodevelopmental conditions represent a substantial public health challenge in Southern India, affecting 8.4% of the community pediatric population. Implementing structured community screening programs with validated tools enables early detection before academic and social demands exacerbate underlying functional impairments.
Thus, the study concludes that clinicians should consider incorporating routine developmental surveillance during pediatric visits—especially for preterm infants and school-aged children—to ensure timely identification and prompt referral for diagnostic evaluation.
While relying on screening tools rather than confirmatory clinical diagnoses may capture false positives, future longitudinal research evaluating diagnostic outcomes and regional risk factors will further strengthen early intervention frameworks across South India.
Reference
Bhavani S, Jose P, Rajan N, Kumar KPP, Ramachandran, Konduru RK. Screen-Positive Prevalence and Associated Factors of Neurodevelopmental Disorders among Children Aged 1-12 Years in Southern India: A Community-Based Cross-sectional Study. International Journal of Neonatal and Medical Research (IJNMR). 2026 Dec.
