Healthy newborns' neurobehavior: norms and relations to medical and demographic factors

Fink, Tronick, Olson, Lester. Healthy newborns’ neurobehavior: norms and relations to medical and demographic factors. J Pediatr. 2012;161:1073–9.

NOTES

Fink, Nadine STronick, EdwardOlson, KarenLester, BarryN01 HD23159/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United StatesR01HD37138/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United StatesU10 DA24119/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United StatesU10 HD27904/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United StatesResearch Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tUnited StatesJ Pediatr. 2012 Dec;161(6):1073-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.05.036. Epub 2012 Jun 23.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To generate neurobehavioral norms for an unselected random sample of clinically healthy newborns by examining the newborns with use of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS). STUDY DESIGN: We recruited 344 healthy mothers and newborns from a well-child nursery. The NNNS, a 128-item assessment of infant neurobehavior, was used to examine newborn performance. Associations between 11 NNNS summary scales and the stress/abstinence scale, as well as medical and demographic variables, were evaluated. Mean, SD, and 5th and 95th percentile values for the summary scores of the NNNS are presented. RESULTS: NNNS scores from the 10th to the 90th percentile represent a range of normative performance. Performance on different neurobehavioral domains was related to marital status, ethnicity, prenatal, intrapartum and neonatal risk factors, complications during labor/delivery, cesarean delivery, gestational age, the age of the newborn at testing, and infant sex. CONCLUSION: These data provide clinicians and researchers with normative data for evaluation of newborn neurobehavior. Even in a low-risk sample, medical and demographic factors below clinical cut-offs were related to newborn performance. Infants with scores outside the ranges for the 11 NNNS summary scores and the stress/abstinence scale may need further observation and, if necessary, early intervention.
Last updated on 02/25/2023