Development and analysis of the reliability of a scale for the assessment of General Movements (GM) in preterm children

Abstract

The technological improvement of neonatal care and intensive care contributed to the reduction of Preterm Newborn (PTNB) mortality. Despite these improvements, is still difficult to predict and prevent neural damage and neurobehavioral impairments, which are associated to the higher proportion of children with severe neurological problems, such as Cerebral Palsy (CP). Between all the available method of babies' assessment and examination, the Prechtl´s Method of Qualitative Assessment of General Movements (GM) shows the higher predictive value to neurological damage. Nevertheless, this assessment is not widely used because of its subjectivity and the necessity of training of the examiners. The aim of this study is to develop a quantitative scale based on GMs, and to verify its reliability. The construction of the scale will follow these steps: selection of children between 0 and 60 weeks of age, video recording, observation and identification of GMs, systematization and observation of the video recordings, organization of the movements in categories, construction of the items of the scale, determination of a score to each of these items, elaboration of the scale user´s manual, submission of the scale and user´s manual to experts to adjustments, elaboration of the final version, submission of the scale and video recordings to examiners to verify the reliability. To the reliability analyses, a Weighted Kappa Coefficient and the Intraclass Correlation Indice will be used to check inter- and intraexaminers reliability of the evaluation proposed, considering p<0,05 to significant results. (AU)