“Based on research evidence, the best three tools to detect a high-risk of CP before the corrected age of 5 months old are neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the Prechtl Qualitative Assessment of General Movements, and the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination,” says Leena Haataja, MD, PhD, Children’s Hospital Helsinki, Finland.

What else did Dr. Haataja report in “Early Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy,” published in Pediatric Medicine 2020; 3:9?:

“Emerging research data supports early intervention, mainly based on its effect on innate brain plasticity, which is at its most active phase during the early years of life.

Furthermore, clinical experience of late interventions that arise from delayed diagnosis suggests worse outcomes compared to active early intervention.

Novak et al. identify the best three tools to detect high risk of cerebral palsy before the corrected age of 5 months old:
(I) Neonatal magnetic resonance imaging
(II) The Prechtl Qualitative Assessment of General Movements
(III) The Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination

The accumulated research evidence convincingly shows that the high risk of CP can be detected already before 6 months of age.

Early identification is important from the child’s, parent’s, and society’s point of view.”

Read Dr. Haataja’s “Early Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy”: https://pm.amegroups.org/article/view/5457/html

Read Dr. Novak’s “Early, Accurate Diagnosis and Early Intervention in Cerebral Palsy Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment”: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9641643/

Dr. Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national malpractice attorney states, “Early diagnosis and intervention is required for children, families, and society for those with the diagnosis of cerebral palsy. It has long been known that delays in diagnosis are not uncommon and can be delayed one to two years for those with minor motor impairment given that early MRIs of the brain are normal in up to 30% of children with cerebral palsy.”

Dr. Vigna concludes, “Early intervention based on reliable diagnoses leads to better outcomes. It has been estimated that 10% of very preterm infants are diagnosed with cerebral palsy and the risk increases as gestational age decreases. We fully advocate high-risk very pre-term infants undergo the tools recommended by Novak but also structural MRI (sMRI) at 3-4 months as recommended by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.”

Click here to read Dr. Vigna’s book, “The Mother’s Guide to Birth Injury.”

Dr. Vigna is a California and Washington DC lawyer who focuses on neurological injuries caused by medical negligence. Ben Martin Law Group is a national pharmaceutical injury and birth injury law firm in Dallas, Texas. The attorneys are product liability and medical malpractice attorneys, and they represent neurological injuries across the country.

To learn more, visit the Vigna Law Group.