Neurological and Developmental Follow-Up of a Population at Risk

Abstract

Neurodevelopmental follow-up has an important role in perinatal management and research. The value of individual studies depends on the quality of the planning, the data collected, and the interpretation of the findings. Interpretation, in particular, has caused many problems; these have usually arisen because of a failure to understand the nature of the data and what they mean. Follow-up studies are labor intensive and, therefore, very expensive. If they are to continue, there must be a full understanding of their strengths and weaknesses by those who plan them, carry them out, and — above all, by those who analyze and interpret them.