Transient Neurologic Signs in Infancy and Motor Outcomes at 4 1/2 Years in Children Born Biologically At Risk

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effects of transient neurologic signs evident in infancy on motor outcomes in 41/2-year-old children born biologically at risk. Children who appeared neurologically normal at each of the 4-month, 12-month, and 24-month visits in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Follow-Up Clinic were assigned to the neurologically normal (NN) group ( n = 42). Children who appeared to have neuromotor abnormalities at either or both the 4-month and 12-month visits, and who were then rated as “normal” at the 24-month visit, were assigned to the transient neurological signs (TNS) group ( n = 19). The groups were compared on motor and cognitive measures at the 41/2-year clinic visit. No significant differences between groups were found except on the measure of pencil prehension, in which the TNS group scored significantly lower ( p < .01) than the NN group. A more thorough assessment of fine motor skills at the preschool level may be indicated when following the neurodevelopmental course of children born biologically at risk.