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

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.