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General Movement Assessment Predicts Neuro-Developmental Outcome in Very Low Birth Weight Infants at Two Years - A
Fiona Barnes1, Lynda Graham1, Prakash Loganathan2,3
1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital, Crosshouse, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, KA2 0BE, UK.
Insights
General movements (GMs) assessment, specifically the absence of fidgety movements (FMs), effectively predicts neurodevelopmental outcomes and cerebral palsy in very low birth weight infants. This screening tool aids early identification of at-risk infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal neurology
- Developmental pediatrics
- Movement analysis
Background:
- Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are at high risk for neurodevelopmental impairments.
- Early identification of neurodevelopmental issues is crucial for timely intervention.
- General Movements (GMs) assessment is a non-invasive method to evaluate early brain development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the predictive value of General Movements (GMs) assessment for neurodevelopmental outcomes in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
- To determine the efficacy of GMs in identifying infants at risk for cerebral palsy (CP) using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development III (BSID-III).
Main Methods:
- An observational study involving 227 VLBW infants assessed between January 2012 and June 2017.
- 137 infants underwent General Movements (GMs) assessments at 3 months corrected age.
- Neurodevelopmental outcomes were assessed using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development III (BSID-III) at two years of age.
Main Results:
- Absence of fidgety movements (FMs) at 3 months corrected age demonstrated high specificity and negative predictive value for moderate to severe neurodevelopmental outcomes (composite score < 70 on BSID-III).
- Absent FMs showed high sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value for diagnosing cerebral palsy (CP).
Conclusions:
- General Movements (GMs) assessment at 3 months corrected age is a valuable screening tool.
- It aids in the early identification of very low birth weight infants at risk for neurodevelopmental impairment and cerebral palsy.
Objective:
To assess the value of general movements (GMs) in predicting the neurodevelopmental outcome using Bayley Scale of Infant Development III (BSID-III) at two years of age in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
Methods:
This is a five-year observational study (January 2012-June 2017). Two hundred twenty-seven VLBW infants were assessed in the neurodevelopmental clinic between Jan 2012 and June 2017. Of these 137 infants had GMs assessments at 3 mo post term (first visit to the clinic).
Results:
Absence of fidgety movements (FMs) at 3 mo post term had high specificity and negative predictive value for moderate to severe neurodevelopmental outcome in motor, cognition and language domains (composite score less than 70 in the Bayley III scales of Infant development scores). At 3 mo post term, absent FMs had high sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) for cerebral palsy (CP).
Conclusions:
GMs assessment at 3 mo post term could be considered as an important screening tool for early identification of VLBW infants who are at risk of neurodevelopmental impairment/cerebral palsy.
