[Near-infrared spectroscopy as an auxiliary tool in the study of child development].

Objective:: To investigate the applicability of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) for cortical hemodynamic assessment tool as an aid in the study of child development.

Data Source:: Search was conducted in the PubMed and Lilacs databases using the following keywords: ''psychomotor performance/child development/growth and development/neurodevelopment/spectroscopy/near-infrared'' and their equivalents in Portuguese and Spanish. The review was performed according to criteria established by Cochrane and search was limited to 2003 to 2013.