Assessment of the implementation of early detection of children’s growth and development by midwives

In Indonesia, the SDIDTK (Stimulation of Early Detection and Intervention of Growth and Development) program aims to monitor children's growth and development. SDIDTK monitors growth, encompassing body weight, height, and head circumference. It also monitors development, which includes a development test using KPSP (Developmental Pre-Screening Questionnaire), sight test, hearing test, and emotional-mental development test. This study analysed midwives' application of early growth detection services in Magetan Regency, Indonesia. It used a mixed-method approach. This quantitative study assessed the application of early detection by surveying 53 randomly selected village midwives. The qualitative study was conducted by interviewing 8 participants. The results showed that about 43.9% of midwives falsely reported providing SDIDTK services even when they only monitored the growth aspect without monitoring children's development. Midwives are helped by cadres who undergo routine growth examinations. Unfortunately, development detection is not routine. The challenges in implementing developmental detection included heavy workloads, limited time, and limited human resources. Other influential factors include the lack of intersectoral cooperation and the fact that societal empowerment have not optimally been established. The SDIDTK program's implementation remains suboptimal. The authors concluded that midwives should improve cross-sector collaboration, empower communities, and set standards for community midwifery care.