A Systematic Review of Neurodevelopmental Tools for Preterm Infants During Infancy: Mapping the Components Across Infant Age Quarters.

Abstract

With an increasing rate of preterm birth (PTB) and survival rates, PTB-related impairments have become a critical concern that requires early screening and intervention. Though there are multiple neurodevelopmental tools available, their complexity in administration, limits their usage. This research intends to systematic review the available neurodevelopmental assessment tools to map their components in relevant domains in each age quarter of a preterm infant's life to give a quick reference guide for clinical practice in India. A systematic review was undertaken using key keywords linked to preterm newborns and neurodevelopmental assessment in PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and gray literature published from 2000 to 2023. The initial search identified 30 neurodevelopmental tools, but only 10 were included in the analysis due to accessibility constraints. The first quarter concentrated on a great deal on primitive reflexes, which might serve as early warnings of a red flag. Although these tools are used in research, most lack extensive psychometric evaluations specific to preterm populations, raising concern validity and geographical sensitivity, especially in India. There is critical need to establish the psychometrics of the identified tools in preterm population. The components plotted over infant age quarters may be used by health care professionals for a quick reference. Inaccessibility of tools being the major hinderance in pediatric evaluation, these charted components may serve a practical reference frame work for establishing a comprehensive tool that might require less or minimal training suitable for low- and middle-income countries like India.