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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Assessment of neurodisability and malnutrition in children in Africa
Melissa Gladstone1, Mac Mallewa2, Alhaji Alusine Jalloh3
1Department of Women and Children's Health, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, UK.
Insights
Integrated assessments for neurodevelopmental delay and malnutrition are crucial for improving child outcomes globally. Tools must offer actionable advice for families and professionals to enhance management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Global child health
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental delay, neurodisability, and malnutrition represent a significant global health burden.
- Current assessment tools vary widely in complexity, sensitivity, validity, and target age.
- Few tools adequately assess socioemotional outcomes or address the needs of malnourished disabled children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical interaction between neurodisability and malnutrition in children.
- To emphasize the need for integrated assessment and management approaches.
- To identify gaps in current assessment tools regarding actionable advice for families and professionals.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing assessment tools for developmental, cognitive, and socioemotional outcomes.
- Consideration of neuroimaging, electroencephalography, audiology, and visual assessments.
- Analysis of the integration of assessment with management and advice.
Main Results:
- Existing tools often lack sensitivity for socioemotional outcomes and specific populations like malnourished disabled children.
- There is a significant paucity of clinical tools providing practical advice for improving child outcomes.
- Brain imaging and other specialized assessments can reveal malnutrition's impact on brain structure and function.
Conclusions:
- An integrated approach to assessing and managing both neurodisability and malnutrition is essential.
- Current assessment tools need improvement to provide families and professionals with actionable advice.
- Addressing the interplay between malnutrition and neurodisability is key to maximizing children's potential.
Abstract:
Neurodevelopmental delay, neurodisability, and malnutrition interact to contribute a significant burden of disease in global settings. Assessments which are well integrated with plans of management or advice are most likely to improve outcomes. Assessment tools used in clinical research and programming to evaluate outcomes include developmental and cognitive tools that vary in complexity, sensitivity, and validity as well as the target age of assessment. Few tools have been used to measure socioemotional outcomes and fewer to assess the disabled child with malnutrition. There is a paucity of tools used clinically which actually provide families and professionals with advice to improve outcomes. Brain imaging, electroencephalography, audiology, and visual assessment can also be used to assess the effect of malnutrition on brain structure and function. The interaction of neurodisability and malnutrition is powerful, and both need to be considered when assessing children. Without an integrated approach to assessment and management, we will not support children and families to reach their best potential outcomes.
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