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The Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale Detects Gender Differences Among Newborn Infants of Optimal Health Cristina
Lundqvist, MS, and Karl-Goran Sabel, MD, PhD, Lund University and
Boras Hospital, Sweden The objective of this study was to determine whether the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) could detect gender differences among healthy full-term neonates. The participants were a group of healthy Swedish neonates, 20 boys and 18 girls. The infants were assessed by the NBAS under the standardized conditions at 48-72 hours of age, at the midpoint between feedings. We found that all NBAS items, except those in the Autonomic and Motor clusters, had a wide interquartile range. The trend was that the girls had higher median item profiles, which means they had a higher level of functioning than boys. Four out of seven median values in the Social Interactive cluster, as well as the median value in the Self-Quieting item in the State Regulation cluster, were significantly higher for girls. The interquartile range of the items seemed wider for boys than for girls. The results indicate behavioral variability among healthy neonates. This study shows that the NBAS detects behavioral differences among optimally healthy infants. Gender differences were also observed with girls showing higher levels of functioning than boys. The study confirmed the hypothesis that there are behavioral differences between girls and boys. The girls had higher functioning scores, especially in the area of social interactivity As clinicians, we see a demand for a diagnostic instrument that discriminates between immaturity, stress effects, and individual characteristics in neonatal words, maternity wards, and health care centers. Therefore, we suggest that the NBAS be used to complement neurological and pediatric examination when specific questions about the baby exist and when the baby already has been identified as an infant at risk. These results warrant further research as they have significant implications for our understanding of the origins of gender differences in behavior. For
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