Abstract
Tone, reflexes, and gross motor activity do not always reflect neural maturation with advancing gestational age (GA). To improve assessment of neurobehavioral development, the Brazelton Scale was adapted for use with very premature infants. 15 well infants of ≤32 weeks GA, whose courses were benign (ie, without disease or complication), were examined at ≤3 days of age. Preliminary results suggest that adaptation and orientation scores (cortical measures) correlate well with GA:
Four items (adaptation to light and pinprick, and orientation to light and rattle) showed rising linear trends across age groups. Three remaining items (adaptation to rattle and orientation to face and voice) clearly differentiated between 28- and 30-week gestation infants, but did not distinguish between 30- and 32-week gestation groups. Average scores on other measures (alertness, irritability, level of activity, reaction to a cloth on the face) were not reliably different among the three groups of prematures. Tone and standard reflexes, similarly, did not change uniformly with advancing gestational age.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Farwell, J., Scott, D. & Warshaw, J. DEVELOPMENT OF CORTICAL BEHAVIOR IN VERY PREMATURE INFANTS: ADAPTATION AND ORIENTATION. Pediatr Res 11, 561 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-01148
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-01148