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Validity of the Test of Infant Motor Performance for discriminating among infants with varying risk for poor motor

S K Campbell1, D Hedeker

  • 1Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612-7251, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|October 13, 2001
PubMed

Insights

The Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) effectively identifies infants at risk for motor delays. This tool differentiates between low, medium, and high-risk infants based on perinatal complications, aiding early intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal development
  • Pediatric neurology
  • Motor assessment tools

Background:

  • Perinatal complications pose risks for infant motor development.
  • Early identification of motor developmental morbidity is crucial for intervention.
  • Standardized assessments are needed to evaluate motor skills in at-risk infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) as a tool for discriminating motor development.
  • To assess the TIMP's ability to differentiate infants based on perinatal risk factors.
  • To determine if TIMP scores correlate with the degree of motor developmental risk.

Main Methods:

  • Ninety-eight infants were assessed weekly using the TIMP up to 4 months of age.
  • Infants were categorized into five risk groups: low, medium, and three high-risk categories (preterm, chronic lung disease, brain insults).
  • Random-effects growth curve analysis was employed to compare developmental trajectories across groups.

Main Results:

  • Infants in low- and medium-risk groups showed similar performance, significantly better than high-risk groups.
  • Infants with brain insults demonstrated the poorest performance and slowest developmental slope.
  • Black infants scored an average of 2 points higher than other infants on the TIMP.

Conclusions:

  • The TIMP is a valid instrument for discriminating motor development in infants with varying risks.
  • The TIMP can identify infants at risk for motor developmental delay due to perinatal complications.
  • Findings support the use of TIMP in clinical settings for early detection of motor impairments.
Abstract

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