USING POSTURAL REACTIONS AS A SCREENING-TEST TO IDENTIFY HIGH-RISK INFANTS FOR CEREBRAL-PALSY - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

To clarify the predictive value of the seven more commonly used postur al reactions (PR) in the Ist year of life regarding the diagnosis of c erebral palsy (CP), we prospectively examined 204 high-risk infants of whom 58 developed CP, 22 had developmental retardation (DR) and 124 w ere normal at follow-up at 3 years of age. Abnormalities of five or mo re PR from the Ist month of life were correlated with spastic CP, whil e five or six abnormal PR were also correlated with athetoid CP. Three or less abnormal PR correlated with a normal outcome. All seven PR te sted were significantly abnormal in children with spastic CP from the Ist month compared to normal children. Athetoid children demonstrated abnormalities of the Peiper-Isbert (P-I) reaction and Vojta reaction f rom the Ist month and of the vertical, horizontal and Collis vertical suspension from the 3rd month. Children with DR had significantly abno rmal Collis horizontal and Collis vertical suspension, Vojta reaction and traction response from the Ist month and Peiper-Isbert reaction fr om the 3rd month. Ataxic children demonstrated significantly abnormal traction response from the Ist month, Collis horizontal reaction from the 7th month and Peiper-Isbert reaction from the 11th month. We concl ude that the examination of PR is a useful quantitative and qualitativ e diagnostic screening tool for high-risk infants from the 1st month o f life. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.