Are sporadic fidgety movements as clinically relevant as is their absence?

Abstract

BackgroundInfants with normal fidgety movements at 3 to 5months after term are very likely to show neurologically normal development, while the absence of fidgety movements is an early marker for an adverse neurological outcome, mainly cerebral palsy (CP). The clinical significance of so-called sporadic fidgety movements (i.e., fidgety movements occur isolated in a few body parts and are of 1- to 3-second-duration) is not yet known. AimsOur objective was to determine whether infants who had developed CP and had sporadic fidgety movements have a better outcome than infants who did not have fidgety movements. Study designLongitudinal study. Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Subjects61 infants who developed CP (46 male, 15 female; 29 infants born preterm; videoed for the assessment of movements and postures at 9 to 16weeks post-term age). Outcome measuresThe Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) was applied at 3 to 5years of age. ResultsThere was no difference between children diagnosed with CP who had sporadic fidgety movements at 9 to 16weeks post-term age (n=9) and those who never developed fidgety movements (n=50) with regard to their functional mobility and activity limitation at 3 to 5years of age. One infant had normal FMs and developed unilateral CP, GMFCS Level I; the remaining infant had abnormal FMs and developed bilateral CP, GMFCS Level II. ConclusionsThere is no evidence that the occurrence of occasional isolated fidgety bursts indicates a milder type of CP.