Prognostic Value of Behavioral Assessments of Neonates

Abstract

This paper reports the first analyses of some measures from a neonatal assessment battery in relation to later status of the infant. The measures of later status used are from the NINDB Colla-borative Perinatal Research Project''s 4 month pediatric examination and 8 month psychological assessment. From our neonatal battery, the General Maturation Scale Score and its two subscores, the Motor Score and the Tactile-Adaptive Score and the ratings of Tension and Irritability are used. The criterion measure taken from the 4 month pediatric examination was the judgment of whether neurological abnormalities were present, suspected or absent. Mental Age, Motor Age and the more global Infant Behavior Rating were the criteria chosen from the 8 month psychological examination. Although N is 242 neonates, relations at low levels of significance are accepted as hypotheses for future work since the number of abnormal outcomes in a sample of this size is, fortunately, small, and since replication is easily possible. The findings are reported in detail.