title: Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale as a predictor of cognitive development and IQ in full-term infants: a 6-year longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the predictive capacity of neonatal behaviour on infant mental and psychomotor development at 4 and 12 months, and infant intelligence at 6 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty full-term newborns were followed from 3 days until 6 years. Neonatal behaviour was assessed by the Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale (NBAS) at 3 days postpartum, infant mental and psychomotor development was assessed by the Bayley Scales for Infant Development at 4 and 12 months, and child intelligence was assessed by the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence at 6 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neonatal general irritability was the predictor of mental development at 12 months. Self-regulation behaviours were predictors of psychomotor development at 4 and 12 months and verbal and total intelligence quotient at 6 years. Neonatal orientation was a predictor of performance Wechsler subtests related to visomotor abilities and attention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neonatal self-regulation behaviours were the best predictors of infant development and intelligence. We suggest that the NBAS could be a useful tool to observe behaviours related to later development in healthy infants.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Behavioral Assessment (CRAMC), Department of Psychology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain. josefa.canals@urv.cat
authors.forename: Josefa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Canals
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hernández-Martínez
authors.forename: Griselda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esparó
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández-Ballart
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007360:Intelligence; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007508:Irritable Mood; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D047929:Term Birth