General movement assessment in term neonates with perinatal asphyxia to predict neurodevelopmental outcome- a longitudinal study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Perinatal asphyxia is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, particularly in low-resource settings like India, with an incidence of 2–10 per 1000 term births. It is a significant contributor to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy (CP). Early prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes remains challenging, especially in regions with limited access to advanced diagnostic tools. Prechtl’s General Movements Assessment (GMA) offers a non-invasive, cost-effective method for early identification of high-risk infants. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the quality of general movements in term neonates with perinatal asphyxia and predict their neurodevelopmental outcomes using GMA and the Motor Optimality Score-Revised (MOS-R).