Assessment: The Newborn

Neonatal neurobehavioral assessment has become a standardized component of clinical care provided to newborn infants, guiding neonatal clinical care and subsequent access to early interventions and services. Links between neonatal assessment and neurosensory and motor impairments in high-risk infants have been relatively well established. In contrast, the extent to which newborn neurobehavioral assessment might also facilitate the early identification of infants susceptible to socioemotional impairments in early childhood is less well documented. This review examines longitudinal links between the neonatal neurobehavioral assessment, temperament, and socioemotional outcomes in early childhood.