Comparison between the perinatal risk inventory and the nursery neurobiological risk score for predicting development in high-risk newborn infants.

BACKGROUND: The availability of a score for predicting neonatal outcome prior to discharge may help us to define the risk of developmental disorders in very low birth weight infants. AIM: To compare Scheiner's Perinatal Risk Inventory (PERI) with Brazy's Neurobiological Risk Score (NBRS) when applied at discharge, in predicting developmental delay at 24 months of age. STUDY DESIGN: To evaluate the predictive power of the two tests, we measured their sensitivity and specificity in predicting outcome (Mental Development Index, MDI, Psychomotor Development Index, PDI, and Amiel-Tison Neurological Examination) in an observational study. SUBJECTS: 102 very low birth weight infants (BW <1,500 g) admitted to our NICU at the Pediatric Department of Padova University. RESULTS: In the cohort studied, 75.5% of the patients had a normal MDI, while 24.5% showed a delayed performance (8.8% mildly and 15.7% severely so); the PDI was normal in 74.5% patients, whilst 25.5% had a delayed performance (9.8% mildly and 15.7% severely so). According to the Amiel-Tison test, neurological performance was normal in 66% patients, impaired without disability in 19% and impaired with disability in 15%. NBRS showed a sensitivity and specificity respectively of 0.96 and 0.23 (MDI), 0.96 and 0.24 (PDI), 0.94 and 0.25 (Amiel-Tison test); for PERI were 0.88 and 0.54 (MDI), 0.77 and 0.51 (PDI), 0.82 and 0.57 (Amiel-Tison test). The PERI and NBRS can predict the MDI with an AUC >0.8 and the PDI or Amiel-Tison findings with an AUC of 0.7-0.8. No significant differences were found between the areas under the ROC curves using the NBRS and the PERI. CONCLUSIONS: : In assessing the prognosis for individual babies, the physician can choose either the PERI or the NBRS to predict PDI, MDI or Amiel-Tison performance.