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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
[Primitive reflex in premature healthy newborns during the first year]
Lygia Olhweiler1, Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva, Newra Tellechea Rotta
1Unidade de Neurologia Infantil, Departamento de Pediatria do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre RS, Brasil.
Unlabelled:
A non-controlled, prognostic cohort study was performed with the aim of establishing markers of neurological development and defining a clinical and epidemiological profile of preterm newborns at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of gestation-corrected age in terms of primitive reflexes evolution.
Results:
At 3 months old of corrected age, all primitive reflexes were present. At 6 months old, all children showed plantar grasp and 2.7% still showed Moro and palmar grasp. Plantar grasp was the unique primitive reflex found at 9 and 12 months of corrected age.
Conclusion:
It was possible to evaluate the occurence, as well as the disappearing of primitive reflexes in preterm newborns. The results show delay in the disappearing of primitive reflexes even with the use of corrected age.
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