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

Published on: August 25, 2014

Using the clinical linguistic and auditory milestone scale for developmental screening in high-risk preterm infants

H M Belcher1, A Gittlesohn, A J Capute

  • 1Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Clinical Pediatrics
|December 10, 1997
PubMed

Insights

The Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale (CLAMS) effectively monitors preterm infant language development. Early CLAMS scores predict later language and cognitive outcomes, showing sequential development in preterm infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

  • Preterm infants often experience developmental delays, necessitating reliable monitoring tools.
  • Assessing language development in preterm infants requires age-appropriate and accurate methods.
  • The impact of prematurity on cognitive and language outcomes is a significant concern in pediatric care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of the Clinical Linguistic and Auditory Milestone Scale (CLAMS) for monitoring language development in preterm infants.
  • To determine if correcting for prematurity improves the accuracy of CLAMS Language Quotients (LQ) in predicting cognitive outcomes.
  • To assess the sequential nature and predictability of language development in preterm infants from 3 months to 2 years corrected age.

Main Methods:

  • Eighty-one preterm infants (mean gestational age 29 weeks) were assessed using CLAMS at three intervals: 3-5 months, 9-14 months, and 18-24 months chronologic age (CA).
  • CLAMS Language Quotients (LQ) were compared with psychometric test scores, with and without adjustments for prematurity.
  • Correlations between CLAMS LQs across intervals and between CLAMS LQs and psychometric scores were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • CLAMS LQ demonstrated high correlations between sequential intervals (Interval 1 to 2: r=0.57; Interval 2 to 3: r=0.64, P<0.0001), indicating orderly language development.
  • CLAMS evaluations showed significant correlations with psychometric test results during Interval 2 (r=0.34, P<0.02) and Interval 3 (r=0.75, P<0.0001).
  • Adjusting for prematurity did not significantly alter the predictive accuracy of CLAMS LQ for cognitive outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • The CLAMS is a valuable and reliable instrument for monitoring the sequential language development of preterm infants in primary pediatric care.
  • Early CLAMS assessments can provide meaningful insights into later language and cognitive development in this population.
  • The CLAMS facilitates early identification of potential developmental issues, enabling timely intervention for preterm infants.

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