Is Oral Baclofen Effective in Neonatal Hypertonia?

Abstract

Cerebral palsy is often associated with spasticity. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of oral baclofen in hypertonic neonates. Retrospective chart review of patients treated with oral baclofen (identified by means of pharmacy records) during a 3-year period was undertaken. Data on muscle tone evaluated using the Modified Ashworth Scale scores were analyzed for effectiveness. Twenty-nine infants had Modified Ashworth Scale scores before and during oral baclofen therapy. The study infants had a mean gestational age of 25.7 ± 1.9 weeks. Baclofen was started at a postnatal age of 86.4 ± 33.6 days. Comparison of Modified Ashworth Scale scores after initiation of therapy to prebaclofen scores demonstrated no significant decrease in muscle tone. Results of our study show that there is no overall decrease in tone during oral baclofen therapy in hypertonic preterm neonates.

Keywords

hypertonia oral baclofen cerebral palsy spasticity

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