OBJECTIVETo explore the Infant Neurological International Battery (Infanib) as a screening tool for early detection of gross motor developmental delay in preterm infants discharged from NICU, and to predict their later neuromotor dysfunction (cerebral palsy or motor retardation).

METHODSA cohort of preterm infants who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between June 2008 and March 2010 were enrolled in the study. Infanib assessment was performed at corrected age 3-4 months and 6-7 months. Peabody Developmental Motor scale-2 (PDMS-2) and neuro-examinations were used to confirm the last motor retardation. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the Infanib were calculated.

RESULTSA total of 147 preterm infants were participated in this study, and 129 infants were followed up at correct age 12 months or more than 12 months. Eleven (8.5%) had celebral palsy, 28 (21.7%) had motor retardation, and 90 (69.8%) normal mortor development. The predictive validity of the Infanib at correct age 3-4 months (n=14) was: sensitivity 84.6%, specificity 75.6%, positive predictive value 60.0% and negative predictive value 91.9%. The predictive validity of the Infanib at correct age 6-7 months (n=117) was: sensitivity 100%, specificity 91.7%, positive predictive value 82.5% and negative predictive value 100%.

CONCLUSIONSThe Infanib can be used as an appropriate screening tool and validity measurement for early detection of gross motor developmental delay in preterm infants.