Since 2010, the “Grandir en Languedoc Roussillon” network proposes a monitoring until 7/8 years for children with a risk of handicap, and includes in average 700 newborns per year. Three risk levels are defined: very high, high and moderate risk, depending of perinatal pathology. The children are examined by a referent practitioner who passes developmental surveillance data on to the network.

We examined the data from 546 24 months aged children (corrected) in five developmental domains.

Abnormalities of global motor function were found in 11.6% of children, of fine motor control in 5.3% of them. 15% had sensorial disorders (visual and/or auditory), 20% had delayed speech, and at last, 20% of children had behavioral difficulties concerning relationship, separation, feeding, and sleep.

According to scientific literature number of cerebral palsy reaches 2/1000 living births [1Keogh J.M., Badawi N. The origins of cerebral palsy Curr Opin Neurol 2006 ;  19 : 129-134

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références]. Risk is more important for preterm infants, inversely proportional to gestational age. In our cohort, “very preterm” or “extremely preterm infants” are over-represented: 3.8% cannot walk at 24 months (corrected) or can walk despite cerebral palsy. In infant with handicap risk, motor disorders are often associated with other developmental difficulties, sometimes minor but not devoid of consequences on fate [2Bowen J.R., Gibson F.L., Hand P.J. Educational outcome at 8 years for children who were born extremely prematurely: a controlled study J Paediatr Child Health 2002 ;  38 (5) : 438-444 [cross-ref]

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références]. The screening and the management of those associated disorders permit to reduce the additional disabilities and learning troubles. This is one goal of the vulnerable children follow-up network.