Neurological profile of low-risk children at 3–4 years of age

Background. Nervous system diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders are detected in children of preschool and school age approximately thrice as frequently as nervous system disorders in neonates. To investigate this dynamic, we admitted the necessity of standard neurological assessment of children in the interim period, that is at the age of 3–4 years old. Objective. The aim of the present research is practical testing of standard neurological assessment method for children at the approximate age of 3.5 years old. Design and methods. We studied neurological status characteristics in 26 low-risk children at the age 31–48 months with the adapted standard Neurological Profile of B. C. L. Touwen. Results. It is shown that in neurological status of children of the specified age, qualified as «neurologically healthy», not less than two deviations from optimal values were detected. The most common deviations were impaired sitting up from supine position, reduction of reaction to push in sitting position and passive muscle tone changes. The average neurological profile for these children was received. The detected neurological status deviations have correlation with speech development disorders (speech development milestones and phrase speech) (r = 0.69–0.74). At the same time, we noted dissociation between values of some neurological functions and development, and that may suggest individual of development. Conclusion. Comparison of neurological morbidity in neonatal period and in early preschool age, data about influence of neurological deviations at the approximate age of 3.5 years old on the future cognitive and behavioral disorders, as well as the findings obtained in the present research about prevalence and character of individual deviations in low-risk children, may suggest a probable mechanism of neurological, cognitive, and behavioral disorders increase in elder children.