School-age human figure drawings by very preterm infants: Validity of the Draw-a-Man test to detect behavioral and cognitive disorders

C Chollat; A Joly; E Houivet; J Bénichou; S Marret

doi:10.1016/j.arcped.2019.02.015

School-age human figure drawings by very preterm infants: Validity of the Draw-a-Man test to detect behavioral and cognitive disorders

Arch Pediatr. 2019 May;26(4):220-225. doi: 10.1016/j.arcped.2019.02.015. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Authors

C Chollat¹, A Joly², E Houivet³, J Bénichou⁴, S Marret⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of neonatal pediatrics and intensive care-neuropediatrics, Rouen university hospital, 1, rue de Germont, 76000 Rouen, France; INSERM U1245, Normandie university, UNIROUEN, Rouen university hospital, 22, boulevard Gambetta, 76183 Rouen, France; Department of neonatal intensive care, Port-Royal university hospital, AP-HP, 123, boulevard Port-Royal, 75014 Paris, France. Electronic address: clement.chollat@gmail.com.
² Department of neonatal pediatrics and intensive care-neuropediatrics, Rouen university hospital, 1, rue de Germont, 76000 Rouen, France.
³ Department of biostatistics, Rouen university hospital, 1, rue de Germont, 76000 Rouen, France.
⁴ Department of biostatistics, Rouen university hospital, 1, rue de Germont, 76000 Rouen, France; Inserm U657, Rouen university hospital, 1, rue de Germont, 76000 Rouen, France.
⁵ Department of neonatal pediatrics and intensive care-neuropediatrics, Rouen university hospital, 1, rue de Germont, 76000 Rouen, France; INSERM U1245, Normandie university, UNIROUEN, Rouen university hospital, 22, boulevard Gambetta, 76183 Rouen, France.

PMID: 30885603
DOI: 10.1016/j.arcped.2019.02.015

Abstract

Detecting an abnormal developmental trajectory in very preterm infants remains challenging. The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between the Draw-a-Man test (DAMT) and behavioral and cognitive disabilities in very preterm infants. From the school-age follow-up of the Premag study, which evaluated the neuroprotective effect of prenatal magnesium sulfate before 33 weeks of gestation, 281 human figure drawings were assessed (mean age, 11 years). Behavioral and cognitive disabilities were associated with delayed DAMTs but test performance indicators were insufficient to use DAMT as a screening or a diagnostic test.

Keywords: Behavioral disorder; Cognitive disorder; Draw-a-Man test; Human figure drawings; Magnesium sulfate; Very preterm infants.

Publication types

Validation Study

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Art*
Cerebral Palsy / prevention & control
Child
Child Behavior Disorders / diagnosis*
Cognition Disorders / diagnosis*
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Magnesium Sulfate / therapeutic use
Male
Neuroprotective Agents / therapeutic use
Neuropsychological Tests*
Prenatal Care
Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

Neuroprotective Agents
Magnesium Sulfate