Update of the normative data for the Chinese Child Development Inventory for children over 3 years old

ObjectiveThe Chinese Child Developmental Inventory (CCDI) is a convenient screening tool to identify children with possible developmental delays. The purpose of this study was to update the CCDI norms using a contemporary sample of children, and to compare it with existing CCDI normative data.Materials and methodsFive hundred fifty-two children, 36.5–75.5 months old, from 30 kindergartens located in three districts (Xindian, Jhonghe, and Yonghe) of New Taipei City, Taiwan were assessed using the CCDI. The updated normative data were compared with existing CCDI norms using a quadratic linear regression model. In addition, smoothed percentile curves (5th–95th) were estimated using the lambda-mu-sigma method.ResultsAmong the eight CCDI developmental dimensions, the average scores for general development, comprehension-conceptual, fine motor, situation-comprehension and expressive language (at <50 months old) were higher than the scores of the existing norms that are based on data from 1978; however, the score of the gross motor dimension was slightly lower. No differences in the average scores for self-help existed between the updated and previous norms.ConclusionThe updated CCDI normative data will provide valuable information for physicians and other professionals working to identify developmental delays at early stages.