Neurological Development from Birth to Six Years: Guide for Examination and Evaluation

Neurological Development from Birth to Six Years presents precise instructions on how to perform and record the neurological examination perfected by Dr. Claudine Amiel-Tison, one of the world's foremost neurodevelopmental neonatologists. This standardized neurological examination can be used in NICU follow-up clinics and in reporting neurological outcomes in clinical research studies. The text makes a special contribution by explaining how to interpret deviations from the norm and is especially useful for assessing children with neurological problems (such as cerebral palsy) or children with a risk of developing them (particularly those born very prematurely).

Featuring dozens of detailed illustrations, the book presents a single tool for the neurological examination of children from birth to school age in an effort to meet the specific needs of clinicians, researchers, and administrators. For these needs to be met, the clinical assessment tool must be both systematic and precise. It must be based on a fixed set of observations and maneuvers, and results must be scored according to the child's age -- since cerebral maturation, especially during the first year, will constantly modify the results. With these goals in mind, the authors present a basic neurological examination appropriate for daily pediatric practice, one that can be used throughout infancy and childhood, while avoiding the dual pitfalls of oversimplification and extreme complexity.

Cowritten by a recognized specialist whose reputation and techniques cross national boundaries, Neurological Development from Birth to Six Years will be a useful tool for professionals in pediatrics. The book was published in French in 1998 by Hôpital Sainte-Justine at the University of Montreal.

Claudine Amiel-Tison, M.D., is Professor Emerita of pediatrics at Port-Royal-Baudelocque, Paris V University. Julie Gosselin, Ph.D., O.T., is an associate professor at the School of Rehabilitation at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montreal.