Authors: Gitta Reuner Anna Christine Fields Andrea Wittke Martin Löpprich Joachim Pietz
Publish Date: 2012/12/08
Volume: 172, Issue: 3, Pages: 393-400
Abstract
The study aims on comparing Bayley Scales of infant development third BayleyIII and Bayley second BayleyII edition with special focus on patterns in the first year of life Fiftyfive premature infants 43 with low birth weight/LBW 1499 g and 12 with very/extremely low birth weight/VLBW/ELBW 1500 g aged 7 months corrected for prematurity were assessed with the complete BayleyIII From this assessment BayleyII results were retrospectively estimated BayleyIII results were compared to the expected mean with onesample ttests The mean scores of both editions were compared with the aid of pairedsample ttests Pearson correlations between subscales and editions were analysed The BayleyIII cognitive score of the study group was significantly higher than the expected mean of the standardization sample VLBW/ELBW had significantly lower motor scores than LBW in both editions When compared to estimated BayleyII scores all relevant BayleyIII scores were significantly higher all p 01 with highest difference ten points between the motor scales of both editions There were significant correlations not only between BayleyIII cognitive and language scales but also between language and motor scales Given the strong association between motor and cognitive behaviour in early infancy this agespecific pattern is heightening the risk of failure to identify infants at risk for both cognitive and motor delay Therefore assessment of infants should comprise all subscales Since BayleyIII probably overestimates especially motor performance in young infants when interpreting BayleyIII scores in this age comparison groups are highly recommended until further validation of normative data are outstandingGitta Reuner Anna Christine Fields and Martin Löpprich received a grant by the Dietmar Hopp Stiftung in the context of the broader study on early developmental diagnostic tools Andrea Wittke received financial support from a German national doctoral fellowship by the Landesgraduiertenförderung of the State of BadenWürttemberg All assessments were performed at the University Childrens Hospital of Heidelberg The authors gratefully thank the families for participating in this study
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