The predictive validity of the Movement Assessment of Infants (MAI) for the detection of cerebral palsy was analyzed in 89 Brazilian infants, born with gestational age < or = 32 weeks and weight < or = 1500 g. The infants were assessed with the MAI at 4 and 8 months, corrected ages, and were submitted to a neurological evaluation between the ages 2 and 7 years old. Estimates of sensibility (0.61 - 1.0), specificity (0.79 - 0.95), positive predictive value (0.48 - 0.73) and negative predictive value (0.79 - 1.0) were calculated at 4 and 8 months, for risk points > or = 13 and > or = 10. The best predictive values were obtained at 8 months, with a cut off > or = 13 risk points. A less restrictive criteria (> or = 10 points) might be useful for the prediction of motor coordination problems at school age.