For a study, researchers sought to produce a credible, continuous reference interval for Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) scores on 3- to 7-month-old term babies with gestational age-appropriate weight. In a prospective trial, they studied 168 newborns at one point with HINE at 3-7 months of age. At two years of age, the parents of 134 of these infants completed an Ages and Stages Questionnaire to assure appropriate motor development. For age-dependent ideal scores, they established a reference interval for HINE scores using the 10th percentile as the cut-off.
The best-fitted mean model for HINE total score was 78.1358 + 9659.231*1/age in weeks2-5104.174∗natural logarithm(age in weeks)/age in weeks2, which explained 49.8% of the variation. The 10th percentile cut-off for the HINE total score was 52.1 points at 12 weeks, 55.6 points at 16 weeks, 59.0 points at 20 weeks, 61.8 points at 24 weeks, and 63.8 points at 28 weeks. Between two examiners, they discovered an excellent intraclass correlation value of 0.953 (0.931-0.968). At the 2-year follow-up, the babies’ motor development is as usual. For HINE scores in babies aged 3-7 months, they offered a reliable, continuous reference interval and a 10th percentile cut-off.
Reference:www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(22)00058-0/fulltext
