Neuromotor Assessment of Infants

A standard developmental screening test, such as the Denver Developmental Screening instrument (Frankenburg and Dodds), should be done routinely by the primary care physician in order to monitor whether fine and gross motor skills are being achieved at the appropriate ages. However, sole reliance on screening tests for evaluating the competence of the neuromotor system has its limitations (Stedman, 1975). These tests primarily measure the quantitative aspects of motor development. That is, if an infant achieves a motor task at the appropriate age, the tester would consider this performance normal notwithstanding that its quality or style may be abnormal. An additional limitation of screening tests for evaluating the integrity of the motor system in infants is that a young baby has so very few assessable skills in his motor repertoire. Therefore, it is essential that a neuromotor examination be added to the periodic development assessment. The addition of a few clinical tests of neurological maturity will significantly improve the success rate for the earliest detection of cerebral palsy.