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Early gross motor development of preterm infants according to the Alberta Infant Motor Scale
I C van Haastert1, L S de Vries, P J M Helders
1University Medical Center Utrecht, Departments of Neonatology and Pediatrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands. i.vanhaastert@umcutrecht.nl
Insights
Preterm infants show delayed gross motor development compared to full-term infants during the first 18 months. Adjusted developmental norms are crucial for accurate assessment of preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Motor Development
Background:
- Preterm infants often experience developmental challenges.
- Gross motor skills are critical indicators of early development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the gross motor development of preterm infants up to 18 months corrected age.
- To compare the motor development trajectories of preterm and term infants.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) for assessment.
- Assessed 800 preterm infants (corrected for prematurity) aged 1-18 months.
Main Results:
- Preterm infants, as a group, scored significantly lower on the AIMS compared to norm-referenced values from term infants.
- This difference persisted across all age levels, even with full correction for prematurity.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants demonstrate distinct gross motor developmental trajectories compared to term infants.
- The motor development profile of preterm infants may represent a unique variant specific to this population.
- Adjusted normative data are recommended for the evaluation and clinical management of preterm infants.
Objective:
To systematically examine gross motor development in the first 18 months of life of preterm infants.
Study Design:
A total of 800 preterm infants (356 boys), ages between 1 and 18 months and corrected for degree of prematurity, were assessed with the use of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale.
Results:
Comparison of the mean Alberta Infant Motor Scale scores of the preterm infants with the norm-referenced values derived from term infants revealed that as a group, the preterm infants scored significantly lower at all age levels, even with full correction for degree of prematurity.
Conclusions:
In general, preterm infants exhibit different gross motor developmental trajectories compared with term infants in the first 18 months of life. The gross motor developmental profile of preterm infants may reflect a variant of typical gross motor development, which seems most likely to be specific for this population. As a consequence, adjusted norms should be used for proper evaluation and clinical decision-making in relation to preterm infants.
