Preterm and writhing movements: is it possible to predict fidgety movements in preterm infants?

Background Preterm infants who do not have fidgety movements at 3 months of corrected age have up to ten times greater risk of developing cerebral palsy or other alterations in motor development, compared to infants who exhibit such movements. The General Movements Assessment (GMA) is a validated tool that may predict the fidgety movement period. Objective This study aimed to describe the trajectory of the General Movements Assessment (GMA) during the preterm and writhing movements periods in preterm infants and determine the best time point to predict the fidgety movements period. Study design Fifty-two preterm newborns were evaluated by the GMA method. Results: GMA assessment at the age of 5 weeks post term was found the most predictive of neuromotor development disorders in at-risk newborns, with a sensitivity and specificity of 86% and 58%, respectively, and a high negative predictive value (92%) and increased hit ratio (69% accuracy). Conclusion: Preterm infants with ≤34 weeks of gestational age have a high prevalence of poor repertoire classifications on the GMA and one single assessment with GMA near the time of NICU discharge seems to be the best time to determine infants who need to be followed more carefully, but the best time point to predict the fidgety movements period was 5 weeks post term.