Stability of neurocranial signs in the first two years of life in infants at risk.
BACKGROUND
Acknowledgement of low-severity/high-prevalence disabilities in infants born preterm singles out the need to identify early markers of brain impairments which could predict these late emergent disabilities. The neurological status as assessed by the Amiel-Tison Neurological Assessments (ATNA) has been proposed as one such potential marker. However, the stability of the ATNA has never been formally assessed.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to assess the stability of the ATNA.


METHODS
A total of 89 infants born preterm with a gestational age ranging from 29 0/7 to 37 0/7 weeks inclusively and a birth weight below 2500 g were followed during their first two years of life (term age, 4, 8, 12 and 24 months corrected age) in a clinical context.


RESULTS
Of these, 62 children (69.7%) were classified in the same category on the five assessments while 14 (15.7%) had only one divergent result and 13 (14.6%) had two divergent results over the follow-up. The neurological status throughout the assessments remains stable according to Cochran's Q.


CONCLUSIONS
As the neurological status identified by the ATNA remained stable throughout repeated measurements in a regular clinical context and has been shown to correlate with later developmental performances, it should be included as a criterion to target children at risk and used during follow-up.
Simard
Marie-Noëlle
MN
School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Lambert
Jean
J
Lachance
Christian
C
Audibert
François
F
Gosselin
Julie
J
D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012306:Risk