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Updated: Jul 3, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Early diagnosis of abnormal development of preterm newborns: assessment instruments
Rosana S Santos1, Alexandra P Q C Araújo, Maria Amelia S Porto
1Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. rosana.ft@ig.com.br
Insights
Early screening psychomotor tests aid in identifying developmental delays, leading to timely interventions and improved outcomes. The DENVER II and Alberta Infant Motor Scale are frequently used, with others showing high sensitivity and specificity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Neurology
Background:
- Early identification of developmental problems is crucial for timely intervention.
- Psychomotor development is a key indicator of a child's overall health and well-being.
- Various screening tools exist, but their efficacy and applicability vary.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a literature review on psychomotor screening tests for early detection of developmental issues.
- To identify commonly used and highly effective screening tools.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search across SciELO, PubMed, and Google Scholar.
- Keywords included prematurity, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, early diagnosis, and evaluation tests.
- Inclusion criteria focused on original studies from 1985 onwards, detailing test design, applicability, and psychometric properties.
Main Results:
- A total of 455 references were identified, with 174 studies selected for review.
- The DENVER II and Alberta Infant Motor Scale are prevalent in Brazilian studies.
- Movement Assessment of Infants is gaining traction, while Test of Infant Motor Performance and General Movements are noted for high sensitivity and specificity.
Conclusions:
- Psychomotor screening tests are vital for initiating early treatment and optimizing developmental outcomes.
- The selection of appropriate screening tools impacts the effectiveness of early intervention strategies.
- Continued research and adoption of validated tests like the Test of Infant Motor Performance and General Movements are recommended.
Objective:
To review the literature regarding screening psychomotor tests for the early identification of developmental problems.
Sources:
A search on SciELO, PubMed and Google Scholar was performed using the terms "prematurity," "developmental delay," "cerebral palsy," "early diagnosis" and "evaluation tests."
Summary Of The Findings:
A total of 455 references were listed, and 174 studies were selected for this review based on title, relevance, and abstract. Only original and electronically available material, from 1985 forward, with information on design, applicability, and psychometric properties of those tests was included.
Conclusions:
Screening tests are important to speed the beginning of treatment measures in order to allow for better developmental outcome. Among the many tests that can be employed for this purpose, the DENVER II and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale are the most often used in Brazilian studies. The Movement Assessment of Infants is starting to be used in our country. Two other tests are recommended in the literature due to their high sensibility and specificity: the Test of Infant Motor Performance and the General Movements.
