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[Early screening of cerebral palsy during infancy using 'Infant Motor Malfunction Profile' in the communities of two
Fang-biao Tao1, Jin Xu, Guo-zhi Deng
1Department of Maternal and Child Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
Insights
The Infant Motor Malfunction Profile effectively screens for cerebral palsy in infants. This tool demonstrates high accuracy, aiding in early identification and intervention for developmental disorders.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Early identification of cerebral palsy (CP) is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes.
- Existing screening tools require validation for prospective use and predictive accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prospective validity and predictive value of the Infant Motor Malfunction Profile (IMMP) for screening cerebral palsy in infants.
- To determine the IMMP's effectiveness as an early identification instrument.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 8137 infants was screened at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months using motor milestone items.
- Positive screens proceeded to secondary screening with primitive reflex and postural reaction assessments.
- Neurological examinations confirmed diagnoses for infants with abnormal secondary screening results.
Main Results:
- The IMMP demonstrated high sensitivity (94.1%) and specificity (99.8%) for CP screening.
- Positive prospective value was 48.5%, with positive and negative likelihood ratios of 449.6 and 0.06, respectively.
- These metrics indicate strong predictive capability for the IMMP.
Conclusions:
- The Infant Motor Malfunction Profile is a valuable and acceptable tool for the early identification of cerebral palsy.
- The IMMP's performance supports its use in routine infant screening protocols.
- Further research can explore its integration into broader developmental surveillance programs.
Objective:
To evaluate the prospective validity and predictive value of cerebral palsy during infancy, using 'Infant Motor Malfunction Profile'.
Methods:
Items of motor milestone in the profile was used as the first step to screen cerebral palsy on 8137 infants who were screened at 3, 6, 9, 12 months of age. The positive cases who had one of 7 developmental abnormal motor milestone items were examined using the items of primitive reflexes or postural reaction as the secondary step of cerebral palsy screening. The cases who had at least one abnormal item of primitive reflex or postural reaction received neurological examination by doctors to diagnose cerebral palsy.
Results:
According to our data, sensitivity, specificity, positive prospective value, positive and negative likelihood ratio of the profile in screening cerebral during infancy were 94.1%, 99.8%, 48.5%, 449.6 and 0.06, respectively.
Conclusion:
The profile seemed to be an acceptable instrument for early identification of cerebral palsy.
