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Follow-up of pre-term infants: is correction of the developmental quotient for prematurity helpful?
Insights
The uncorrected developmental quotient (DQ) better identifies developmental issues in preterm infants than the corrected DQ. Using the uncorrected DQ alongside current scales is recommended for improved infant assessment.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal development
- Pediatric neurology
- Developmental pediatrics
Background:
- Preterm infants (<34 wk gestation) require accurate developmental assessment.
- Current developmental assessment scales may not be optimally standardized for preterm populations.
- Neurological abnormalities like cerebral palsy and motor delay are significant concerns in preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of corrected versus uncorrected developmental quotients (DQ) in identifying neurological abnormalities in preterm infants.
- To provide recommendations for improving developmental assessments in preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Developmental quotients (DQ) were measured using the Griffiths' scales for 114 preterm infants (<34 wk gestation).
- Infants were assessed for abnormal neurological findings at 1 year, including cerebral palsy, dystonia, and motor delay.
- Comparison of the diagnostic utility of corrected and uncorrected DQs.
Main Results:
- The uncorrected developmental quotient (DQ) demonstrated a greater ability to distinguish infants with abnormal neurological findings compared to the corrected DQ.
- The corrected DQ was less effective in identifying developmental delays and neurological impairments.
Conclusions:
- The uncorrected developmental quotient (DQ) is a more sensitive indicator for identifying developmental abnormalities in preterm infants.
- It is recommended to incorporate the uncorrected DQ into developmental follow-up protocols, especially when using scales standardized on older infants.
- There is a need for normative data specifically compiled for preterm infants to enhance developmental assessment accuracy.
Abstract:
Developmental quotients, measured on the Griffiths' scales, of 114 preterm infants of less than 34 wk gestation are compared with abnormal neurological findings at 1 yr of cerebral palsy, dystonia, and motor delay. The developmental quotient (DQ) uncorrected for prematurity more readily distinguishes the abnormal infant than the corrected DQ. It is recommended that while developmental follow-up still uses scales originally standardised on older preterm and full-term infants the uncorrected developmental quotient is also used. Ideally normative data on the preterm infant should be compiled as a basis for assessing development in these infants.