Characterization of children with neuropsychomotor delay in a Premature Follow-up Program

Abstract

Introduction: Prematurity, low birth weight, and the need for intensive care are risk factors for the development of children discharged from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Objective: To characterize a group of children identified with developmental delays in a Premature Infant Follow-up Program (NFP) at a university hospital in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, and to verify the importance of the multidisciplinary team in the neuropsychomotor assessment and longitudinal follow-up of these children. Method: This is a quantitative, documentary, longitudinal, descriptive study. All premature infants with their first consultation between 2018 and 2022, identified with neuropsychomotor delay during longitudinal follow-up with the multidisciplinary team, were included. Children who already had a diagnosis of atypical development and those without complete information records were excluded. Data were tabulated in a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS®) program through descriptive statistics. Results: 138 children with neuropsychomotor delay were identified. There was a predominance of boys (63%), born via cesarean section (64.5%), moderately premature (37.7%), with similar classifications for low birth weight and prolonged hospital stays (mean of 63.38 days). In the overall distribution of delays, there is a predominance of psychic risk (63%), followed by motor delay (37.7%), language delay (32.6%), cognitive and global delay (25.4% each), and socio-emotional delay (15.2%). Conclusion: The multidisciplinary team played a decisive role in the early identification of neuropsychomotor delays, expanding the possibilities for team interventions and, consequently, reducing complications for children at risk.