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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

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Preterm children have unfavorable motor, cognitive, and functional performance when compared to term children of

Eliane F Maggi1, Lívia C Magalhães2, Alexandre F Campos3

  • 1Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

Jornal De Pediatria
|April 3, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Preterm children show significant motor, cognitive, and functional development delays by age 4 compared to term-born peers. These impairments are detectable before school age, highlighting the need for early intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Child Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Preterm birth is a significant global health concern.
  • Early childhood development is crucial for long-term outcomes.
  • Understanding developmental trajectories in preterm infants is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare motor coordination, cognitive, and functional development in preterm and term children at 4 years of age.
  • To identify potential developmental disparities between these groups.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 124 four-year-old children, grouped by gestational age and birth weight, matched for gender, age, and socioeconomic status.
  • Utilized the Movement Assessment Battery for Children - second edition (MABC-2), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), and Columbia Mental Maturity Scale (CMMS).

Main Results:

  • Preterm children exhibited poorer performance across all assessments.
  • Motor coordination disorder was significantly more prevalent in preterm (29.1%) versus term (6.5%) children (p=0.002).
  • Preterm children demonstrated more limited functional skills (p=0.001) and required greater caregiver assistance (p=0.010) on the PEDI, with lower cognitive scores on the CMMS (p=0.034).

Conclusions:

  • Preterm children, irrespective of socioeconomic background, are at higher risk for motor, cognitive, and functional impairments.
  • These developmental deficits are identifiable before school entry.
  • Findings underscore the importance of early developmental screening and support for preterm infants.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child developmentCognicãoCognitionCoordenacão motoraDesempenho funcionalDesenvolvimento infantilFunctional performanceMotor coordinationNível socioeconômicoPrematuridadePrematuritySocioeconomic level

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