Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42790914›Full record

Trial reportBMJ open2026

Can we do better in identifying child developmental conditions early? Sensitivity and specificity of the Watch Me Grow Integrated (WMG-I) digital developmental screening and surveillance tool in Australia.

Christa Lam-Cassettari, Kate Short, Pankaj Garg, Joseph Descallar, Feroza Khan, Catherine Bradford, Isabella Andersen, Bin Jalaludin, Siaw-Teng Liaw, Susan Woolfenden and 19 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

29 authors.

Christa Lam-CassettariSchool of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6167-551X
Kate ShortSpeech Pathology, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
Pankaj GargSchool of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Joseph DescallarAcademic Unit of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
Feroza KhanSchool of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Catherine BradfordChild Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Isabella AndersenChild Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Bin JalaludinSchool of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Siaw-Teng LiawSchool of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Fairfield, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5989-3614
Susan WoolfendenCommunity Paediatrics, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Aaron ChambersIntegrated Care, Children's Health Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Margo PritchardChild Health Research Centre Level 6, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Raghu LingamSchool of Clinical Medicine, Population Child Health Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
K D LawsonSchool of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Andrew PageTranslational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
Jane KohlhoffSchool of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6202-6685
Catherine MarronQueensland Child & Youth Clinical Network, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Helen HeusslerChild Development, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Dana NewcombChildren's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Nguyet de MelloNSW Ministry of Health Population and Public Health Division, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.
Elisabeth MurphyNSW Ministry of Health Population and Public Health Division, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.
Paul B ColditzUQCCR, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Micheal KundukulamThe Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
Dimuthu SamaranayakeWestern Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
Shanti RamanUniversity of New South Wales School of Women's and Children's Health, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
Faye SouthcombeSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
The Watch Me Grow Study TeamSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
James ScottUniversity of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
Valsamma EapenSchool of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia v.eapen@unsw.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6296-8306

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesWhile child developmental checks are universally recommended, engagement with developmental surveillance programmes is low globally. To address this policy to practice gap, this study examined the diagnostic accuracy of the 'Watch Me Grow' Integrated (WMG-I) digital developmental screening and ongoing surveillance approach.

designThis sub-study examined diagnostic accuracy of the WMG-I digital approach compared with routine assessment (service as usual (SaU)) in a prospective sample. PARTICIPANTS, SETTING AND

interventionParents of 16-to-35-month-old children attending 40 general practices (randomised to WMG-I or SaU) in culturally diverse metropolitan New South Wales and Queensland, Australia, participating in a longitudinal cluster randomised controlled trial. Parents in the WMG-I group completed the WMG-I digital weblink, including a primary screener and automated secondary screener (if concerns were reported). On completion, results and recommendations were transmitted to the parent and general practitioner (GP) allowing discussion and further assessment. This was compared with SaU GP assessment. Once engaged, based on child's date of birth, WMG-I sends automated reminders to take the check again at the next recommended ages, thereby allowing ongoing developmental monitoring/surveillance. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: All children with identified concerns and a 10% systematic sample without concerns received a reference standard assessment using the Mullen Scale of Early Learning, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale. The primary outcome was diagnostic accuracy of WMG-I compared with SAU on the reference standard assessments.

resultsOf the 655 children in the study at age 2 years, 151 children received reference standard assessment. There was a statistically significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy, with 93.9% sensitivity in the WMG-I group (95% CI 88.1% to 99.7%) and 75.9% (95% CI 57.2% to 94%) in the SaU group (p=0.035); specificity was 71.4% (95% CI 54.7% to 88.1%) and 66.7% (95% CI 44.9% to 88.4%) (p=0.743), respectively.

conclusionsUniversal digital surveillance programmes such as WMG-I can enhance time and service efficiency to accurately identify developmental needs. Leveraging routine primary care contact such as immunisation visits to administer WMG-I digital offers a scalable solution for increasing the uptake of developmental surveillance at a population level internationally. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ANZCTR12621000680864.

Indexed as

Child DevelopmentDevelopmental DisabilitiesMass ScreeningChild, PreschoolFemaleGeneral PracticeHumansInfantMaleNew South WalesProspective StudiesQueenslandSensitivity and SpecificityChildCommunity child healthDevelopmental neurology & neurodisabilityGeneral Practice

Identifiers

PMID42790914
PMCPMC13629963

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.