Early neuromotor predictors of cerebral palsy in low-birthweight infants.

The purpose of this study was to analyze retrospectively which neuromotor behaviors in a sample of four-month-old low-birthweight infants were most predictive of later cerebral palsy. The infants were evaluated at four months corrected age on the Movement Assessment of Infants (MAI) and were followed to between three and eight years of age. For the CP group as a whole, 17 neuromotor items from the MAI were highly significant (p less than 0.001) predictors of cerebral palsy. A further 15 items also were significant, but less highly so (p less than 0.01 to p less than 0.05). Seven items were predictive of later spastic diplegia, seven of spastic hemiplegia, and 35 items differentiated quadriplegic infants. A shorter version of the MAI should be developed to increase its over-all reliability and validity in the early detection of cerebral palsy. Only then would it be possible to implement early therapeutic intervention and to evaluate its efficacy.