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Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale as a predictor of cognitive development and IQ in full‐term infants: a 6‐year longitudinal study
Author(s) -
Canals Josefa,
HernándezMartínez Carmen,
Esparó Griselda,
FernándezBallart Joan
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2011.02306.x
Subject(s) - bayley scales of infant development , psychomotor learning , irritability , intelligence quotient , medicine , pediatrics , wechsler adult intelligence scale , wechsler intelligence scale for children , child development , cognition , mental development , developmental psychology , wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence , cognitive development , clinical psychology , psychology , psychiatry
Abstract Aim: To evaluate the predictive capacity of neonatal behaviour on infant mental and psychomotor development at 4 and 12 months, and infant intelligence at 6 years. Method: Eighty full‐term newborns were followed from 3 days until 6 years. Neonatal behaviour was assessed by the Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale (NBAS) at 3 days postpartum, infant mental and psychomotor development was assessed by the Bayley Scales for Infant Development at 4 and 12 months, and child intelligence was assessed by the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence at 6 years. Results: Neonatal general irritability was the predictor of mental development at 12 months. Self‐regulation behaviours were predictors of psychomotor development at 4 and 12 months and verbal and total intelligence quotient at 6 years. Neonatal orientation was a predictor of performance Wechsler subtests related to visomotor abilities and attention. Conclusions: Neonatal self‐regulation behaviours were the best predictors of infant development and intelligence. We suggest that the NBAS could be a useful tool to observe behaviours related to later development in healthy infants.