A cross-sectional study addressing the cognitive development of two-year-old children

Background: Cognitive skills of children advance throughout all stages of development, progressing from simple, concrete representations to complex, abstract beliefs and attitudes. These early years of cognitive development plays an important role in their mental and emotional health across the lifespan. This study aimed to assess the cognitive development of two-year-old children.
Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University among 318 conveniently selected mothers having two-year-old children. Socio-demographic information of the participant and the evaluation of the cognitive development of their two-year-old child was done by using a pretested, interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire, modified according to cultural context for better adaptability from Parent Report of Children’s Abilities-Revised (Child’s play) and Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, Second Edition through a face-to-face interview.
Results: The mean age of the mothers was 26.29 years. Among the two-year aged children of the respondents, 53.1% were male & 46.9% were female. Most children (83.3%) belong to first or second birth order. The study found that among the two-year aged children of the respondents, 10.7% had severely delayed cognitive development, 6.6% were moderately delayed, and mild delayed cognitive development was found among 14.2%. Most (61%) of the children’s cognitive development was at the standard level, and 7.5% showed above-average development.
Conclusion: About one-third of children included in this study were found to have mild to severe cognitive developmental delay, which calls for further assessment at the national level for a better understanding of children's cognitive development and the need for intervention.