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[Study of motor function development at 8 and 12 months of age in preterm and at term children]
Marisa C Mancini1, Silvana Teixeira, Louise G de Araújo
1Departamento Terapia Ocupacional, Escola de Educação Física, Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brasil. mcmancin@metalink.com.br
Insights
Children born preterm, when corrected for age and without other disorders, show similar motor development to those born at term. However, the specific pathways for motor skill acquisition may differ between these groups.
Area of Science:
- Developmental pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Motor control
Context:
- Preterm birth is a significant risk factor for developmental delays.
- Early motor function assessment is crucial for identifying potential issues.
- Understanding developmental trajectories in preterm infants is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose:
- To compare motor function development between preterm and term-born infants at 8 and 12 months corrected age.
- To examine the relationship between early motor function (8 months) and later motor ability (12 months) in both groups.
- To investigate potential differences in motor development pathways for preterm infants.
Summary:
- No significant differences in overall motor function were observed between preterm and term-born infants at 8 or 12 months corrected age.
- Both groups demonstrated significant associations between motor function at 8 months and mobility skills at 12 months.
- Preterm infants showed a strong relationship between skills and independence in mobility at 12 months corrected age.
Impact:
- Preterm infants, without additional complications and with age correction, may achieve comparable motor development to term-born peers.
- The findings suggest that while overall motor outcomes may be similar, the developmental progression of motor skills in preterm infants can follow distinct patterns.
- This research supports the importance of age correction in assessing preterm infant development and highlights the need for individualized approaches to motor skill support.
Objective:
To compare the development of motor function in children born preterm with those born at term, at 8 and 12 months of age. To investigate the relation of motor function quality at the age of 8 months with motor ability at 12 months.
Method:
Thirty-two children participated in this study: 16 were born preterm (risk group) and 16 were born at term (control group). The spontaneous movements of the children were assessed at 8 months and their mobility skills and independence were assessed at 12 months (corrected ages for the preterm group), using standardized developmental tests (AIMS and PEDI, respectively). Data were analysed using independent t-tests (between-group comparison) and Pearson correlation coefficients (within-group comparison).
Results:
There was no significant difference in motor function, between those born preterm with those born at term, either at 8 or at 12 months of age. In the control group, there was significant association (r=0.67; p=0.004) between movement at 8 months and mobility skills at 12 months. In the risk group, there was significant relationship between skills and independence in mobility, at 12 months corrected age (r=0.80; p=0.0001).
Conclusion:
Preterm born children, without other disorders and with age correction, might show a similar motor development as those born at term. The path for the acquisition of motor abilities in preterm born children appears to differ among those infants.