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The association between early minor motor difficulties in extreme low birth weight infants and school age attentional
Deepa Jeyaseelan1, Michael O'Callaghan, Kerryn Neulinger
1Mater Children's Hospital, Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Deepa_Jeyaseelan@health.qld.gov.au
Insights
Motor difficulties in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants at 2 years are linked to later attention problems. Early motor assessments can identify children at risk for attentional challenges.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Extremely premature infants, particularly those extremely low birth weight (ELBW), exhibit higher rates of motor and attentional difficulties.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory from early motor impairments to later attention deficits is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between minor motor difficulties identified in early childhood and attention measures in school-aged children.
- To determine if early motor assessments can predict later attentional outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 45 extremely low birth weight (ELBW) or preterm infants were assessed for minor motor deficits using the Neonatal and Infant Motor Evaluation (NIME) at 12 and 24 months.
- Attention was evaluated at 7-9 years using clinical rating scales (Conners, Du Paul) and psychometric tests measuring attention span, selective attention, and divided attention.
Main Results:
- Motor deficits identified at 12 months were associated only with psychometric measures of verbal attention span, not clinical attention measures.
- Motor deficits identified at 24 months showed a strong association with clinical measures of attention at school age, independent of confounding factors.
- No association was found between 24-month motor deficits and psychometric measures of attention.
Conclusions:
- Motor difficulties in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants at 2 years of age are significantly associated with clinical attention measures later in childhood.
- These findings suggest that early motor assessments, particularly at 24 months, may serve as an indicator for potential attention problems.
- Further research into the underlying mechanisms connecting early motor development and later attentional regulation is warranted.
Introduction:
Extremely premature infants of normal intellectual ability have an increased prevalence of motor and attentional difficulties. Knowledge of the relationship between early motor difficulties and measures of attention at school age would enhance understanding of these developmental pathways, their interrelationship and opportunities for intervention.
Objective:
This study examines whether an association exists between early findings of minor motor difficulties and school age clinical and psychometric measures of attention.
Methodology:
45/60 eligible ELBW(1000 g) or preterm (< 27/40 gestation) infants born at the Mater Mother's Hospital were assessed at 12 and 24 months for minor motor deficits (using NSMDA) and at 7-9 years for attention, using clinical (Conners and Du Paul Rating Scales) and psychometric (assessing attention span, selective and divided attention) measures.
Results:
NSMDA at 12 months was only associated with the psychometric measures of verbal attention span. It was not associated with later clinical measures of attention. NSMDA at 24 months was strongly associated with specific clinical measures of attention at school age, independent of biological and social factors. It was not associated with psychometric measures of attention.
Conclusion:
The major finding of this study is that motor difficulties in ELBW infants at 2 years are associated with later clinical measures of attention. Possible mechanisms underlying this relationship are considered.
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