FIELD : medicine.SUBSTANCE : invention refers to paediatrics, neonatology, neurology and radiodiagnosis, and can be used for early prediction of motor disturbance risk in premature newborns born with low and extremely low body weight, with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic cerebral lesions. Magnetic resonance tomography of the brain is performed in the diffusion-tensor mode at 38–40 weeks of the corrected age. Fractional anisotropy values are measured in posterior hip zones of internal capsules of both cerebral hemispheres. If fractional anisotropy in both hemispheres is 0.280 and more, a low degree of risk of developing motor disturbances by the end of the first year of life of the child is determined. If in one or both hemispheres the values of fractional anisotropy are 0.230 to 0.280, the average degree of risk of developing motor disturbances is determined. If the value of fractional anisotropy is 0.229 and less, at least in one or both hemispheres, a high risk of developing motor disturbances is determined.EFFECT : method provides higher accuracy of early diagnosis of the risk of developing motor disorders by the end of the first year of life in children born with low and extremely low body weight, timely updating of the management tactics and development of rehabilitation programs taking into account the risk of motor disorders in this group of children, as well as reduced number of children with motor deficiency and reduced severity of motion disorders by determining values of fractional anisotropy in posterior hip zones of internal capsules of both cerebral hemispheres at 38–40 weeks of corrected age.1 cl, 1 tbl, 4 ex