Reliability of the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) Thai Version.

BACKGROUND

Cerebral palsy can typically be diagnosed from the age of two years. Early detection facilitates timely intervention, which can significantly benefit both infants and their families. The Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) is a widely recognized, reliable, and valid tool for the early identification of cerebral palsy and other neurological abnormalities. It is user-friendly and has been translated into 18 languages; however, a Thai version has not yet been developed. This study aimed to translate the HINE into Thai and evaluate its intra- and inter-rater reliability.

METHODS

Thirty infants, aged 2 months to 2 years (corrected age), participated in the reliability assessment of the Thai version of the HINE. Five raters were involved in the study. One rater conducted the initial assessments and recorded videos of the examinations. All raters independently scored the infants using the video recordings. Two weeks later, the raters reassessed the same recordings. Intra- and inter-rater reliability were analyzed using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC).

RESULTS

The intra-rater reliability for the total HINE Thai version was good to excellent (ICC = 0.86-0.95). Inter-rater reliability for the total HINE scores was also good (ICC = 0.79).

CONCLUSIONS

The Thai versions of the HINE demonstrate good to excellent reliability and are suitable for use in early detection of neurodevelopmental disorders in Thai clinical settings.