[Detection and monitoring of high-risk children].

The authors first describe problems related to the lowering of infant mortality and deal with the terms "high-risk factor" and "high-risk baby". As a result of the dangers presented by prenatal and perinatal noxae the need arises for low-risk births and optimal care of new-born babies. The public health system must be suitably organized so that babies with case history details can be supervised and others with cerebral motor disturbances without pathological data can be registered in the case history. In the registration of the latter group child-welfare centers have an important role to play. The way in which consulting hours for high-risk children are organized is described. Between 1973 and 1977 regular examinations were made of 1.500 high-risk babies, in three groups (150 premature infants without any additional load factors, 118 premature infants showing dyspnea syndrome, 80 new-born babies with prenatal dystrophy). Of these, the 118 premature infants with dyspnea syndromes had the highest overall percentage of border-line and clearly pathological findings in all examinations. Reference is made to symptoms which point to disturbed development, and to the importance of early diagnosis and therapy in the case of cerebral motor disturbances.