title: Does general movements quality in term infants predict cerebral palsy and milder forms of limited mobility at 6 years?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate in term infants associations between quality of general movements and developmental outcome in term infants at 6 years with either cerebral palsy (CP) or limited mobility without CP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants of this prospective study were 145 term infants (86 male, 59 female). Their general movements quality was assessed at 'writhing' and 'fidgety' general movements age (3wks and 13wks post term). The assessment at 6 years consisted of a neurological examination, including assessment of minor neurological dysfunction (MND), evaluation of mobility with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, and of behaviour and learning problems with questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Definitely abnormal general movements at writhing age were not associated with CP, whereas definitely abnormal general movements at fidgety age were (sensitivity 60%; specificity 91%; positive predictive value 19%, negative predictive value 98%). In children without CP, general movements quality was not associated with limited mobility, but it was associated to a minor extent with MND.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In term infants, definitely abnormal general movements at fidgety age do predict CP, but with lower accuracy than in preterm infants. General movements quality does not predict limited mobility in children without CP. The study supports suggestions that predictive value of general movements assessment in term infants is lower than that in preterm infants.
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Gelre Hospital, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.
authors: Patricia A M
authors: PA
authors: van Iersel
authors: Department of Paediatrics, Gelre Hospital, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.
authors: Saskia C M
authors: SC
authors: Bakker
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Gelre Hospital, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.
authors: Arnold J H
authors: AJ
authors: Jonker
authors: Department of Paediatrics - Developmental Neurology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) and University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors: Mijna
authors: M
authors: Hadders-Algra
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index