Developmental screening of Afro-American infants using the Wolański Gross Motor Evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to assess the appropriateness of using the Wolański Gross Motor Evaluation (WGME) to screen for development delay in Afro-American infants of low socioeconomic status. Screening of 122 Afro-American infants at the Jefferson County (Alabama, USA) Department of Health well-child clinics was performed using the WGME. No differences were noted in the performance scores of males and females. The Afro-American infants of low socioeconomic status received higher performance scores at each given age than did white, middle-class U.S. infants tested in another study. The Afro-American infants also scored higher at each given age than the Polish infants on whom the WGME norms were established. The WGME does seem to be an appropriate screening tool in terms of practicality and the items are appropriate prior to onset of walking for the population studied. Normative data on different populations is needed in developing grids that can be used appropriately. Further studies are needed to establish reliability and validity.