Asymmetry in plantar grasp response during infancy

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Asymmetric plantar grasp reflex is an early indicator noted in infants.
• Infants with this reflex often present with perinatal risk factors or other neurologic signs.
• Understanding the long-term implications of this reflex is essential for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term neurologic outcomes of children exhibiting asymmetric plantar grasp responses during infancy.
• To determine the correlation between asymmetric plantar grasp reflex and subsequent neurodevelopmental issues.
• To establish the predictive value of this reflex for identifying brain dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Follow-up evaluation of 61 children with asymmetric plantar grasp responses.
• Assessment of neurologic outcomes including cerebral palsy, motor development, and intelligence.
• Analysis of concordance between reflex asymmetry, motor function, and computed tomography (CT) findings.

Main Results:

• A significant proportion of children (38/61) developed cerebral palsy.
• Other outcomes included delayed motor development (6), mental retardation (3), and borderline intelligence (9).
• Concordance was observed between the side of the abnormal reflex and lateralized motor/CT findings, suggesting localized brain dysfunction.

Conclusions:

• Asymmetric plantar grasp reflex is a strong predictor of underlying brain dysfunction in infants.
• Close neurologic monitoring of infants with this reflex is recommended to identify and manage developmental abnormalities.
• This finding highlights the importance of early neurologic assessment in at-risk infants.