Performance on the NSMDA During the First and Second Year of Life to Predict Functional Ability at the Age Of 4 in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Received 11 April 2005; accepted 12 October 2005.

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common cause of motor deficiency in children born prematurely. The present study explored the effect of biographical factors on study measures; determined whether performance on neuro-sensory motor developmental assessment (NSMDA) at 8, 12 and 24 months in prematurely born children with CP predicted performance at the age of 4 years; and investigated the percentage of children within each NSMDA classification at each test age who were walking independently at the age of 4 years. Forty-three children born prematurely and diagnosed with CP by the age of 4 years were assessed on NSMDA. Regression analyses showed that NSMDA at 8 months was predictive of classification at 12 months (x2(1) = 10.3, p = 0.001, OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.45, 4.66); at 12 months predicted classification at 2 years (x2(1) = 12.2, p = 0.000, OR = 4.15, 95% CI = 1.86, 9.2); and at 2 years predicted classification at 4 years (x2(1) = 8.2, p = 0.004, OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 1.63, 13.87). All children with normal, minimal and mild NSMDA classifications at 12 months were independently walking at 4 years. NSMDA provides useful information regarding the outcome of children with CP from 8 months.

Key words: cerebral palsy , early childhood , neuro-sensory motor developmental assessment , motor performance

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.

Article Outline

• Abstract

• References

• Copyright

References

1. 1 Badawi N , Watson L , Petterson B , et al. What constitutes cerebral palsy? . Dev Med Child Neurol . 1998;40:520–527 . MEDLINE | CrossRef

2. 2 Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe . A collaboration of cerebral palsy surveys and registers . Dev Med Child Neurol . 2000;42:816–824 . MEDLINE | CrossRef

3. 3 Stanley FJ , Blair E , Alberman E . Cerebral palsies: epidemiology and causal pathways . Clinics in Developmental Medicine, No. 151 . London: MacKeith Press; 2000; .

4. 4 Cummins SK , Nelson KB , Grether JK , et al. Cerebral palsy in four Northern Californian counties, birth 1983 through 1985 . J Pediatr . 1993;23:230–237 . Full-Text PDF (28 KB) | CrossRef

5. 5 Burns YR , O'Callaghan M , Tudehope DI . Early identification of cerebral palsy in high risk infants . Aust Paediatr J . 1989;25:215–219 .

6. 6 Wood E , Rosenbaum P . The gross motor function classification system for cerebral palsy: a study of reliability and stability over time . Dev Med Child Neurol . 2000;42:292–296 . MEDLINE | CrossRef

7. 7 Palisano RJ , Rosenbaum P , Walter S , et al. Development and reliability of a system to classify gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy . Dev Med Child Neurol . 1997;39:214–223 . MEDLINE | CrossRef

8. 8 Morris C , Bartlett D . Gross motor function classification system: impact and utility . Dev Med Child Neurol . 2004;46:60–65 . MEDLINE | CrossRef

9. 9 Palisano RJ , Hanna SE , Rosenbaum PL , et al. Validation of a model of gross motor function for children with cerebral palsy . Phys Ther . 2000;80:974–985 . MEDLINE

10. 10 Burns YR , Ensbey RM , Norrie MA . The neuro-sensory motor developmental assessment part I: development and administration of the test . Aust J Physiother . 1989;35:141–149 .

11. 11 Burns YR , Ensbey RM , Norrie MA . The neuro-sensory motor developmental assessment part II: predictive and concurrent validity . Aust J Physiother . 1989;35:151–157 .

12. 12 Burns YR , O'Callaghan M , McDonnell B , Rogers Y . Movement and motor development in ELBW infants at 1 year is related to cognitive and motor abilities at 4 years . Early Human Dev . 2004;80:19–29 .

13. 13 MacDonald JA , Burns YR , Mohay HA . Characteristics of neuro-sensory-motor performance of very low birthweight and high risk infants at 6 years of age . NZ J Physiother . 1991;19:17–20 (corrected reprint). .

14. 14 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). ICF Australian User Guide Version 1.0. Disability Series. AIHW Cat. No. DIS-33. Canberra: AIHW, 2003.

15. 15 Burns YR . N.S.M.D.A. Physiotherapy Assessment for Infants & Young Children . Brisbane: Copyright Brisbane; 1992; .

16. 16 Lin JP . Can we alter the natural history for walking in bilateral cerebral palsy? [Abstract] . Dev Med Child Neurol . 2001;(Suppl. 89):43 .

a Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia

b Growth and Development Research Unit, Mater Mothers' Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

Reprint requests and correspondence to: Ms Julie MacDonald, Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia

PII: S1013-7025(09)70058-2

doi:10.1016/S1013-7025(09)70058-2

8 of 8