Analysis of concurrent validity of the Alberta Infant motor Scale and Bayley scale in children exposed to HIV

Abstract

Analysis of concurrent validity of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale and Bayley Scale in children exposed to HIV Cristina Bonilha Huster Siegle, Cristina dos Santos Cardoso de Sá There are 3.2 million children living with HIV worldwide. In 2013, 240,000 new cases of infected children were reported, being vertical transmission the main mode of infection. To evaluate the vertical transmission of the virus, it is analyzed AIDS detection rate in children under five years old. Between 1980 and July 2014, it was reported 15 564 cases of AIDS in children under five years of age in Brazil; 4967 in São Paulo, of these, 387 cases in the region of Santos. If adopted all preventive and treatment measures, the risk of vertical transmission is lower than 2%. HIV can damage the nervous system and bring damage to neurocognitive function, generating motor and cognitive disturbances. Several studies have reported delayed motor development of children infected, as well as neurological impairment, disturbances in visual-motor integration, and others. The population exposed but not infected may also have a motor and cognitive disorders, by exposure to the virus and the antiretroviral. Early evaluation of the newborn directly influences its integrity and neurological development it. With the early identification of motor abnormalities, we can perform an appropriate intervention, reducing the negative effects. It is extremely important to realize the assessment and early intervention, to optimize motor and skills gains, with the vast existent brain plasticity in the early months and years of life. To correctly evaluate and description of motor performance, we should use appropriate tools with efficient and proven psychometric properties. The Alberta Infant Motor Scale is an easy and quick application tool, low cost, to evaluate the child's motor skills from 0 to 18 months of age, which identifies delays and abnormalities in psychomotor development. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III, another assessment tool of child development, is used to identify, measure, and evaluate developmental delays in children 16 days to 42 months. It has a higher cost, and is considered the gold standard and highly recognized in the literature to assess child development; its application requires more training and implementation time compared to Alberta Infant Motor Scale. Concurrent validity is a psychometric property, considered as valid criteria that relate two measures, comparing one being studied with another "gold standard". This analysis is performed for the replacement of a tool by one more simple, quick, and cheap. Alberta Infant Motor Scale has already had its concurrent validity checked for other groups at risk to development, however, to date, the tool had not already verified its concurrent validity for the population exposed to HIV. The Brazilian health system needs low-cost and fast application tools in its routines, and Alberta Infant Motor Scale can be a great alternative to be used in the evaluation of these children. Thus, the aim of the project is to analyze the concurrent validity of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale and the Bayley Scale in children exposed to HIV. In this study, 20 infants born to HIV-positive mothers (exposed to HIV) will participate, 0 to 18 months old, being followed up by specialized service in the city of Santos. The infants will be evaluated by Bayley Scale and Alberta Infant Motor Scale. The raw scores obtained in the evaluations will be compared, and statistical analysis will be conducted to analyze the concurrent validity of the tools.(AU)