Posttraumatic recovery of traumatized newborns: effects on neuromotor and cognitive development during their first 6 months

Recovery after perinatal cerebral traumatism was studied in a group of 20 traumatized infants. The effects on the sequence of development during the next 6 months were observed for both motor and cognitive development and were compared with a control group of 20 normal babies. Results showed a significant delay for the abnormal group and a different recovery pattern between these two aspects of development. Motor development reached a normal level at 4 months, whereas cognitive development was still impaired at 6 months. These results were discussed in terms of possibly longer effects of perinatal traumatism on higher cortical functions than on motor functions.