EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF CEREBRAL PALSY IN PRETERM INFANTS

Abstract

In a prospective study of 137 preterm infants, 4 developed cerebral palsy (C.P.); 1 severe, 2 moderate, and 1 mild, as assessed at 2 years. Their birth weights (B.W.) ranged from 1840-2500 gms and gestational ages from 33-36 weeks. The means and standard deviations for the sample were 1927 gms ± 456 and 33 weeks ± 3. Very low B.W. and gest. age were not predictors of C.P. and only one C.P. Infant had a low R.W. for gest. age.

All C.P. cases were diagnosed by poor motor and adaptive performances on the 9 month Gesell developmental test. All were clinically suspect at 3 to 6 months as were other infants who did not develop C.P. On a 4 month Gesell test all the C.P. cases had performance levels in the lowest 10% (13 cases) of the sample. Since five of these at 2 years are performing at normal developmental levels additional discriminators were needed.

All infants had assessments of obstetric and neonatal complications and a term (EDC) sleep polygraph with EEG. The C.P. infants were in the 35% with the greatest number of obstetric plus neonatal complications and in the half of these with deviant sleep polygraphs. Using this combination of obstetric and neonatal complications assessments and a neonatal neurophysiological measure, the term sleep polygraph with a behavioral assessment at 4 months, the Gesell test, only one other infant besides the C.P. cases was selected. This child is awkward and has some motor delay at 2 years.

Log in or create a free account to read this content

Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com

Access through your institution

or

Sign in or create an account

Continue with Google

Continue with ORCiD