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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
[Neurological newborn in our center and follow-up]
V Rebage1, S Ruiz-Escusol, M Fernández-Vallejo
1Unidad Neonatal, Hospital Infantil Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, España. victorrebage@yahoo.es
Insights
Advances in neonatal care have increased survival but also the number of infants with neurological disorders. Early detection and intervention are crucial for managing these complex cases and improving long-term outcomes for high-risk newborns.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Perinatal health
- Epidemiology of neurological diseases
Context:
- Improved perinatal healthcare has altered neonatal neurological disease patterns.
- Reduced neonatal mortality correlates with an increased incidence of disabling neurological conditions.
- Specialized follow-up and multidisciplinary collaboration are vital for managing neonatal neurological disorders.
Purpose:
- To review healthcare demands and neurological morbidity in newborns.
- To analyze the functioning of follow-up outpatient services for high-risk infants.
- To report findings from experience in monitoring high-risk newborns.
Summary:
- Preterm delivery and asphyxia are primary causes of neurological sequelae in newborns.
- The incidence of neurological sequelae is comparable to other studies, with a significant proportion being severe.
- Increasing demand for neonatal healthcare necessitates strategic resource allocation and patient care planning.
Impact:
- Cost-effective follow-up programs require precise high-risk population selection and primary care pediatrician coordination.
- Early detection of neurological deficits is essential for timely intervention.
- Improved multidisciplinary coordination and clear recommendations for professionals and families enhance prevention and care programs.
Introduction:
The progress made in perinatal health care in recent years has changed the epidemiology of neurological diseases during the neonatal period. The reduction in neonatal mortality has been accompanied by an increasingly large number of patients suffering from disabling diseases or with a risk of suffering from them; a prolonged follow-up and the joint efforts of neonatologists and neuropaediatricians are therefore essential.
Development:
We review the welfare work and demand for health care for newborn infants with neurological disorders in our service, as well as perinatal neurological morbidity, the functioning of the follow-up outpatients department, and we also report some of the findings from our experience in following up high-risk newborn infants.
Conclusions:
The demand for neonatal health care is increasing, and it is important to take this into account so as to be able to plan better strategies for the use of health care resources and for caring for patients. In our population, preterm delivery and asphyxia are the chief perinatal factors leaving neurological sequelae, with an overall incidence that is similar to that reported in other research and a high proportion of severe sequelae. The follow-up programmes must be made cost-effective by better selection of the high risk population to be monitored and coordination with primary care paediatricians. Early detection of the deficits is essential to be able to implement early intervention, and this can be aided by a series of recommendations aimed at professionals and relatives, as well as by improved coordination between the different multidisciplinary groups involved in prevention and care programmes.
