BornToGetThere · Project

Early Detection Toolkits That Cut Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis Delays in Infants

healthPilotedTRL 7

Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in children, yet doctors often catch it too late for the best treatments to work. This project took the latest scientific evidence on spotting CP early and packaged it into practical training programs and toolkits that hospitals can actually use — think of it as a "startup kit" for clinics to detect CP months or even years earlier than they currently do. They tested these toolkits in 6 countries, from Europe to Sri Lanka and Australia, proving they work in very different healthcare settings. The result: babies get help sooner, families get support faster, and health systems save on long-term care costs.

By the numbers

countries where toolkits were validated

consortium partners across the implementation program

EUR 3,700,000

EU contribution to develop and validate the toolkits

total project deliverables produced

clinical domains covered by the ES implementation tool-kit

The business problem

What needed solving

Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood, yet most healthcare systems detect it too late — missing the critical window when early intervention is most effective. This delays treatment, increases long-term care costs, and puts enormous strain on families. Hospitals and clinics lack practical, ready-to-use programs to implement the latest evidence on early detection and intervention.

The solution

What was built

The project built three sets of implementation toolkits (for early screening, early detection, and early intervention) delivered as CME products both online and face-to-face, covering 9 clinical domains. It also produced validated pre- and post-training assessment instruments to measure practitioner knowledge uptake and behaviour change, totalling 21 deliverables across the program.

Audience

Who needs this

Medtech companies developing infant neurological screening devicesContinuing medical education platforms seeking pediatric contentPrivate pediatric rehabilitation clinic chainsNational health systems modernizing neonatal follow-up programsHealth insurance companies investing in early intervention to reduce long-term costs

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Medical device and diagnostic companies

SME

Target: Companies developing infant neurological screening tools or wearable movement sensors

If you are a medtech company developing infant screening or monitoring devices — this project created validated implementation toolkits covering motor assessment, neuroimaging, and neurological screening across 6 countries. Their ED implementation tool-kit includes training on GMA (General Movements Assessment) and HINE protocols, giving you a ready-made clinical pathway to integrate your device into. The 9-partner consortium tested this in real-world hospital settings from Europe to Sri Lanka.

Healthcare continuing education

any

Target: CME platform providers and medical training organizations

If you are a continuing medical education provider looking for evidence-based pediatric content — this project built complete CME-ready toolkits delivered both online and face-to-face. The ES implementation tool-kit alone covers 9 clinical domains including vision, motor abilities, nutrition, and parent mental health. These were validated across 6 countries with pre- and post-training assessments, giving you plug-and-play course content backed by a EUR 3,700,000 EU research program.

Pediatric rehabilitation services

mid-size

Target: Private pediatric therapy clinics and rehabilitation center chains

If you run pediatric rehabilitation clinics and want to offer early intervention programs — this project developed and tested country-adapted EI (Early Intervention) programs that reduce the age at diagnosis and referral. Their toolkits include protocols for personalized intervention and prevention of secondary complications like hip dislocation. With validation across 6 countries and 9 partner institutions, you get a proven service model rather than building one from scratch.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt these toolkits?

The project produced CME-ready toolkits delivered online and face-to-face, developed under a EUR 3,700,000 EU-funded program with 9 partners. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the coordinator at Universita di Pisa. Based on available project data, specific pricing is not published.

Can these toolkits scale to our hospital network or national health system?

Yes — the entire project was designed for scalability. The toolkits were validated across 6 countries with very different healthcare systems (Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Georgia, Sri Lanka, Australia), including low-to-middle income settings. Master versions were adapted to country-specific welfare systems, demonstrating built-in adaptability.

Who owns the IP on the toolkits and training materials?

The project was funded as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under Horizon 2020, with Universita di Pisa as coordinator. IP is typically shared among the 9 consortium partners per their grant agreement. Contact the coordinator to discuss licensing arrangements for the toolkits.

Does this meet clinical regulatory requirements?

The toolkits implement the International Clinical Practice Guideline for cerebral palsy detection, validated through a multicentre parallel controlled trial. The ED tool-kit covers clinically recognized protocols (GMA, HINE, Neuroimaging). Regulatory compliance for specific markets would depend on local health authority requirements.

How long would implementation take in our clinical setting?

The project ran from 2020 to 2024, with toolkits designed for both online and face-to-face delivery. Pre- and post-training assessments are built in to measure knowledge uptake and behaviour change in clinical practice. Based on available project data, specific implementation timelines per site are not detailed in public deliverables.

Can this integrate with our existing electronic health records or screening workflows?

The toolkits cover early screening (ES), early detection (ED), and early intervention (EI) as distinct modules, allowing phased integration. The ED tool-kit specifically includes communication strategies for delivering diagnosis to parents, suggesting workflow-level design. Integration with specific EHR systems would require technical customization.

Consortium

Who built it

The 9-partner consortium spans 6 countries (Australia, Denmark, Georgia, Italy, Sri Lanka, Netherlands) and is heavily academic, with 5 universities and 2 research organizations making up the core. There is 1 industry partner and 1 SME (11% industry ratio), which means commercialization expertise is limited within the consortium itself. For a business looking to adopt or license these toolkits, the academic strength is actually an advantage — it means the clinical evidence base is robust. However, you would likely need to bring your own go-to-market capability. The geographic spread from high-income European countries to Sri Lanka and Georgia demonstrates the toolkits work across very different resource settings, which is a strong signal for adaptability.

UNIVERSITA DI PISACoordinator · IT
THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLANDparticipant · AU
HUBSTRACT SRLparticipant · IT
ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS GRONINGENparticipant · NL
FONDAZIONE TOSCANA LIFE SCIENCESparticipant · IT
KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
Fondazione Stella Marisparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Universita di Pisa, Italy — search for the project coordinator via the BornToGetThere project website or university faculty pages

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITA DI PISA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

SciTransfer can connect you directly with the research team and help evaluate how these toolkits fit your clinical or commercial setting. Contact us for a detailed briefing.

Order a report on this topic More in Health & Biomedical