Psychomotor development in children aged 12 to 23 months from communities in southern Ecuador: a cross-sectional study

Background Psychomotor development during early childhood is a key determinant of later learning, social interaction, and overall well-being. However, evidence on developmental performance among children under two years of age in Ecuador, particularly in southern regions such as Loja, remains scarce. This study aimed to describe the psychomotor development of children aged 12 to 23 months residing in rural and urban communities from the cantons of Calvas and Gonzanamá in Loja province. Methods This observational and descriptive study included 138 children selected through convenience sampling. Developmental assessments were conducted across eight communities using the Abbreviated Development Scale (EAD-1), which evaluates four domains: gross motor, fine motor-adaptive, hearing-language, and personal-social. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize developmental performance, and Cramer´s V was applied to examine the strength of association between domain-specific classifications and the overall developmental diagnosis. Results Over half of the participants (51.4%) were classified at a medium level of psychomotor development, while 24.6% were identified in an alert category. The personal-social domain showed the highest proportion of low performance (42.8%), whereas the hearing-language domain had the highest percentage of adequate development (58.7%). Associations between domain-specific scores and the total diagnosis showed moderate strength relationships. Only one child (0.7%) reached a high level of overall development. Some variability across communities was observed, although the medium category remained predominant. Conclusions A considerable proportion of children in this population exhibit developmental delays or risk of delay, particularly in personal-social skills. These findings underscore the need for systematic early screening to enable timely interventions and strengthen family and community support. These results also highlight the importance of generating local evidence to guide public policies and community-based programs for public health strategies in underserved areas.