Regulatory Problems in Infancy: Prevalence and Association With Early Neurodevelopmental and Medical Conditions in Toddlers

Aim Investigate the prevalence of persistent regulatory problems (RPs) in children aged 3–18 months from an immigrant, low‐resource population, and assess how these develop and may coexist with other early neurodevelopmental and medical conditions in toddlers. Methods Health service–detected prevalence was estimated using retrospective medical records. The target population followed up within child health services, included 884 children aged 3–18 months. Results In total, 37 of 884 children, 4.2%, were identified with persistent RPs at 3–18 months. Combined forms of RPs were most common, with typical onset between 6 and 12 months of age. Thirteen of 37 children were diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders at 2.5 years. Nine of them had autism confirmed, and four had language disorders. All 13 children had early autism signs and/or other neurodevelopmental symptoms at 18 months of age. In 19 out of 37 children, co‐existing medical conditions were diagnosed. Conclusion Improved knowledge within child health services and methods for identifying and assessing RPs can strengthen opportunities for early interventions for coexisting conditions, where persistent RPs may be the first signs.