Introduction:

The soft neurological signs have been associated with motor difficulties, lower behavioural alterations and even with vulnerability factors for the appearance of conditions such as schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, disocial disorder and psychotic episodes. Although research on the signs has been increasing, it is not clear what may predispose their appearance.

Objective:

To describe the association between prenatal, perinatal and neonatal risk factors and the appearance of the soft neurological signs in children with these risk factors and in children without them.

Methods:

Descriptive, comparative, cross-sectional non-experimental design´s study. The study´s population was formed by 550 boys and girls between the ages of six and eight years organized in four groups: with prenatal risks, with perinatal risks, with neonatal risks, and the group that did not present any risks. The tests were carried out during the first semester of 2017. The data were taken from the medical records and the soft neurological signs were evaluated through the item called Neuropsychological Assessment of Children.

Results:

Most of the soft neurological signs showed significant differences and high values in the performance comparison in each of the groups with risks.

Conclusions:

The presence of prenatal, perinatal and neonatal risks produce a series of alterations in the development of the child that are accumulated and may be associated with the appearance of the soft neurological signs.

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