Thirty high risk infants (mean gestational age 31 weeks) movements were recorded using video at 10-15 weeks post term. The video was analyzed and the children were reevaluated at 5 years of age. Using the video analysis, predicting cerebral palsy had an 88% specificity rate. Thirteen infants had cerebral palsy at age 5. Predictions were correct regarding ambulatory and non ambulatory status in nine out of ten children.
Would you find it helpful to know that a baby at 10-15 weeks had a 90% chance of being ambulatory or a 90% chance of being non ambulatory? Would this knowledge influence the goals that are set with the family?
Reference: Early prediction of cerebral palsy by computer-based video analysis of general movements: a feasibility study (p )LARS ADDE, JORUNN L HELBOSTAD, ALEXANDER R JENSENIUS, GUNNAR TARALDSEN, KRISTINE H GRUNEWALDT, RAGNHILD STØEN Published Online: Feb 24 2010 5:47AM DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2010.03629.x
4 comments:
You ask a weighty question, Margaret - to 'know' or not? Actually, my read from parents is that they will not accept an outright prediction of no walking.
I think I would land in their camp, too, unless I saw the child myself. Late in my career and recently I have come to believe more children could have walked given different intervention. And, I've seen children learn to move in upright at later and later ages.
Barbara
HMMMM....That is a tough question. We were intially told that Faith would never walk. Then when she was around 3, she started doing small steps in a gait trainer. Then her therapist said she thought that Faith may be a community ambulator in short distances. I don't know that either are correct or wrong. She is still taking steps (after surgery) but is no where near walking in say....Target.
Whether I knew or not, I would always keep in front of me the 10% of unknowing. We have all met those children through the years who surprise us. I have never assumed a child could not take steps based on his/her current motor abilities. A child's motivation is an amazing piece of a puzzle. You never know what they can accomplish when it is internally driven. In addition, as Candace stated, different types of adaptive equipment and surgical interventions can change things drastically. My conclusion - don't tell me even with 90% accuracy.
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