Abstract
We have examined the development of behavioral states in preterm infants born at a postmenstrual age < 30 weeks. The infants were longitudinally recorded up untill 40 weeks of postmenstrual age. The data of the first 16 babies recorded four times or more have been analysed. The behavioral states were assessed by 120 minutes of continuous observation and polygraphic recordings. Using the three-minutes moving window, five different behavioral “states” were scored according to Prechtl. The remainder of each recording session was assigned as “no-state”. In a two-hour recording the total amount of no-state showed a significant systematic decrease from an average of 70 to 20 minutes as a function of development (fig). These results suggest that assessment of behavioral states is a good indicator for estimating the degree of brain maturation in preterm infants.
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Maas, Y., Mirmiran, M. & Prechtl, H. 138 DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIORAL STATES IN PRETERM INFANTS. Pediatr Res 36, 25 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00138
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00138