Formal training in general movement assessment is required to effectively evaluate infants with perinatal asphyxia in...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric neurology
• Developmental pediatrics
• Clinical assessment methods

Background:

• General movement assessment (GMA) is crucial for early detection of neurological impairments like cerebral palsy.
• Certified training in GMA is available, but its application in real-world clinical settings needs validation.
• Assessing GMA via video recordings offers a potential solution for busy outpatient clinics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and reliability of using video recordings for General Movement Assessment (GMA) in a Danish pediatric outpatient clinic.
• To determine the inter-observer and intra-observer reliability of video-based GMA.

Main Methods:

• 30 infants born with perinatal asphyxia were video recorded at three months of age.
• Two certified GMA observers assessed the video recordings.
• Assessments were repeated two weeks later to evaluate intra-observer reliability.
• Inter- and intra-observer agreements were analyzed using proportional agreement and nominal kappa statistics.

Main Results:

• Substantial to almost perfect inter- and intra-observer reliability was observed.
• Intra-observer agreement ranged from 0.85 (95% CI: 0.65-1.00) to 0.85 (95% CI: 0.62-1.00).
• Inter-observer agreement was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.45-0.96) initially and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.63-1.00) two weeks later.
• All video recordings were completed promptly within the clinic setting.

Conclusions:

• Video-based General Movement Assessment is a reliable method in a busy pediatric outpatient setting.
• Formal training and regular use of GMA are key to achieving high reliability.
• This approach supports early identification of neurological dysfunction in infants.