Role of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluation of children with developmental delay - a one year hospital based cross sectional study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Developmental delay is a common socioeconomic problem among children. According to recent study done by WHO about 5% of children under 14 years have some or the other type of developmental delay or childhood disability. The prevalence of developmental delay in India under the age of 2 years is approximately 2%. MR imaging has played dominant role in the exhaustive assessment of children with DD, since many specified patho-physiological and etiological causes which could be leading to developmental delay could be easily identified. Global developmental delay is subtype of developmental disorder. It is described as developmental delay well below the specific standard deviation in two or more domains. Developmental delay could happen due to progressive or static disorder of the central nervous system. Stability , regression, or disease progression can develop in patients with these disorders. The major causes of global developmental delay included a variety of diseases, large number of which are associated with particular abnormalities in MRI brain. Neuro-imaging helps in laying out the important details as evidences of old hypoxic insult, / traumatic injury or specific abnormality that could point to a particular disease or a group of diseases The aim of this study is to access the role of MRI n in evaluation of children with developmental delay.