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[A comparative study of the perceptual and motor performance at school age of preterm and full term children]
Lívia de Castro Magalhães1, Patrícia Wendling Catarina, Vanêssa Maziero Barbosa
1Departamento de Terapia Ocupacional, Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais (DTO/UFMG), Belo Horizonte MG, Brasil. liviam@gcsnet.com.br
Insights
Children born preterm, even without neurological impairment, showed lower perceptual-motor skills compared to full-term peers. Early intervention for fine motor and postural control is crucial for preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Preterm birth is associated with potential developmental challenges.
- Long-term outcomes for preterm children require continued investigation.
- Perceptual-motor development is a critical aspect of school-age readiness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare perceptual-motor performance between school-age children born preterm and those born full-term.
- To identify specific areas of deficit in preterm children's development.
- To inform targeted interventions for preterm populations.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving two groups of children aged 5-7 years.
- Group I: 35 preterm children (born ≤34 weeks gestation and/or <1500g).
- Group II: 35 full-term children, matched for age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
- Assessment tools included the Bender Gestalt, motor accuracy test, and balance/postural response measures.
Main Results:
- The preterm group demonstrated significantly lower scores on most perceptual-motor assessments.
- Deficits were observed in areas of fine motor skills and postural control.
- These findings were evident even in preterm children without diagnosed neurological impairment.
Conclusions:
- Preterm birth impacts perceptual-motor development into school age.
- Ongoing follow-up for preterm children is essential.
- Stimulating fine motor and postural control is recommended for all preterm children, regardless of neurological status.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to compare the perceptualmotor performance in school age children who were born preterm and full term. Two groups of children, ages 5 to 7, participated in this study. Group I had 35 children, from low-income families, born up to the 34 week of gestation and/or weight bellow 1500 g. Group II had 35 full-term children, matched by age, gender and socioeconomic status to the children in Group I. Children were tested on the Bender gestalt, the motor accuracy test and on balance and postural responses measures. The preterm group obtained significantly lower scores in the majority of the tests. These besides reinforcing the importance of the follow-up of preterm children up to school age, also indicate the need to stimulate the fine motor and postural control Devment, even among preterm children who do not show evidence of neurological impairment.
