Diagnostic Division: Neurosensory

Definition: Disintegrated physiological and neurobehavioral responses to the environment.

RELATED FACTORS

Prenatal
Congenital/genetic disorders; Teratogenic exposure; [Exposure to drugs/substances]

Postnatal
Prematurity; Oral/motor problems; Feeding intolerance; Malnutrition; Invasive procedures; Pain

Individual
Gestational/postconceptual age; Immature neurological system; Illness; [Infection]; [Hypoxia/birth asphyxia]

Environmental
Physical environment inappropriateness; Sensory inappropriateness/overstimulation/deprivation; Lack of containment within environment

Caregiver
Cue misreading; Cue knowledge deficit; Environmental stimulation contribution

DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS

Objective

Regulatory Problems
Inability to inhibit startle; Irritability

State-Organization System
Active-awake (fussy, worried gaze); Quiet-awake (staring, gaze aversion); Diffuse sleep; State oscillation; Irritable crying

Attention-Interaction System
Abnormal response to sensory stimuli (e.g., difficult to soothe, inability to sustain alert status)

Motor System
Finger splay; Fisting; Hands to face; Hyperextension of extremities; Tremors; Startles; Twitches; Jittery; Uncoordinated movement; Changes to motor tone; Altered primitive reflexes

Physiological
Bradycardia; Tachycardia; Arrhythmias; Skin color changes; “Time-out signals” (e.g., gaze, grasp, hiccough, cough, sneeze, sigh, slack jaw, open mouth, tongue thrust); Feeding intolerances