Desarrollo neurológico en niños y niñas de 3 a 18 meses mediante la Evaluación Infantil de Hammersmith en el Centro de Salud Paccha, Cuenca 2025 – 2026

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the neurological development of children treated at the Paccha Health Centre using the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE). It is a quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional cohort study, and the SPSS platform was used for tabulation. The HINE is an internationally validated and standardised neurological examination with 90% sensitivity. It consists of 26 quantifiable items that assess cranial nerves, posture, movements, muscle tone, reflexes and postural reactions. It generates scores that classify development as optimal, requiring follow-up or with a high probability of cerebral palsy (CP), in addition to recording asymmetries. It was administered to 50 infants aged 3 to 18 months (26 males and 24 females). The results revealed that 40% required ongoing neurological follow-up and 6% had a high probability of CP, with females predominating in this condition. Within the group with a high probability of CP, 4% were fullterm births and 2% were moderate to late preterm births. These findings highlight the usefulness of the HINE as an early detection tool in primary care settings, allowing for the timely identification of neurological disorders that could lead to long-term sequelae, underscoring the importance of preventive interventions and specialised follow-up, especially in vulnerable populations with risk factors such as prematurity.