Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination global scores for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes after 2 years of age: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

AIM: To evaluate the predictive ability of the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) global scores for different neurodevelopmental outcomes (motor, cognitive, neurodevelopment, and cerebral palsy) at or beyond 2 years of age, to explore its potential for broader application in diverse clinical and research contexts. METHOD: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies using HINE global scores to predict outcomes at or beyond 2 years of age. Diagnostic accuracy analyses were performed using Meta-DiSc version 2.0 and the MetaDTA online tool. RESULTS: This review included 21 studies involving 7299 infants. HINE scores below specific cutoff points at corrected ages of 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were predictive of increased risks of atypical motor development, impaired cognitive performance, atypical neurodevelopment, and cerebral palsy. Using a HINE score less than 58 at 3 months to predict cerebral palsy, pooled sensitivity and specificity were 79.6% and 88.7% respectively. INTERPRETATION: The HINE is an effective tool for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes at or beyond 2 years of age, indicating it holds potential for wider use in clinical settings and to ensure early intervention.