Neurological evaluation of the maturity of newborn infants.

Cerebral maturation during the last three months of fetal life brings about constant modification of muscle tone and of certain reflexes. This has enabled a scheme to be devised, whereby the neurological maturity of the premature infant at different ages can be assessed. Saint-Anne Dargassies (1955) defined this neurological progression by analysing a group of 100 prematures of known gestational age, and the longitudinal evolution of healthy prematures, born at 28 weeks' gestational age and studied up to 40 weeks' gestational age. The clinical results have been compared with the electroencephalographic (Dreyfus-Brisac, Flescher, and Plassart, 1962) and anatomical (Larroche, 1962) stages of development of the brain. In applying this maturation scheme to 'small-for-dates' babies it has been concluded that brain development during fetal life progresses independently of unfavourable gestational circumstances. Chronic fetal stress is reflected mainly in the birthweight and to a lesser degree in the body length at birth. The brain, however, from the point of view of anatomy and physiology, evolves more in proportion to the gestational age (Gesell and Amatruda, 1945; Bergstrom, Gunther, Olow, and Soderling, 1955; Saint-Anne Dargassies, 1955).