Assessment of spontaneous movements of newborns on second or third day of life using computer-aided video analysis

According to current knowledge, impaired spontaneous movements of infants can be an early indicator of developmental difficulties. This study aimed to evaluate velocity, acceleration, and parameters describing the range, nature, and location of individual limb movements in infants with normal pregnancy and delivery histories on the second or third day of life. General Movement Assessment was used to qualitatively assess spontaneous activity, while computer-aided movement analysis provided a quantitative assessment based on video recordings. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in limb movement parameters between the left and right sides. Additionally, the results indicated that limb movements in infants with writhing movements were dynamic, exhibiting greater range and a circular shape. In contrast, infants with poor repertoire movements showed less variation in mean velocity, acceleration, and range of motion. These findings confirm the feasibility of using computer-aided video analysis to support early neonatal diagnosis by objectifying movement descriptions through quantitative measures, contributing valuable insights to the current understanding of spontaneous movements in newborns, particularly during the second and third days of life.