Variability and stereotypy of spontaneous motility as a predictor of neurological development of preterm infants.

Observations of the variability stereotypy ratio of spontaneous motility in a group of 47 preterm infants showed that stereotyped motor activity was related to the neurological diagnosis at term age. A minority of the neurologically deviant infants at term recovered during infancy. The presence of absence of intra-uterine growth retardation and an accumulation of obnoxious antenatal, perinatal and postnatal events seemed to affect outcome, particularly in the presence of extensive and permanent ultrasound findings. A normal neurological condition at term indicates a high probability of normal development.