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The development of reaching behavior in low-risk preterm infants
1Department of Physiotherapy, Neuropediatrics Section, University Federal of São Carlos, Via Washington Luis km 235, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil. toledo am@yahoo.com.br
Insights
Preterm infants show distinct reaching patterns, with slower movements and more adjustments, which may aid successful grasping. These kinematic differences persist compared to full-term infants up to 7 months.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Motor Control
- Infant Kinematics
Background:
- Understanding motor development in preterm infants is crucial for identifying potential delays.
- Reaching behavior is a key indicator of early motor skill acquisition.
- Kinematic analysis provides objective measures of movement patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal development of reaching kinematics in preterm infants.
- To compare reaching behavior between preterm and full-term infants.
- To examine the relationship between kinematic variables and grasping success.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design tracking infants from 5-7 months corrected age.
- Analysis of kinematic variables: straightness, adjustment indexes, movement unit, mean and final velocities.
- Comparison of kinematic data and grasping success between low-risk preterm and full-term infants.
Main Results:
- Kinematic variables remained largely consistent with age in both groups.
- Preterm infants exhibited a higher adjustment index at 6 months.
- By 6-7 months, preterms showed slower mean/final velocities and higher adjustment index than full-terms.
- Successful grasping increased with age and was negatively correlated with mean velocity in preterms.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants develop adaptive reaching strategies, characterized by slower movements and increased adjustments.
- These strategies may facilitate successful grasping in preterm infants.
- Kinematic differences suggest distinct motor control pathways in preterm development.
Abstract:
This longitudinal study investigated the development of reaching behavior in the seated position in preterm infants at the ages of 5-7 months by analyzing kinematic variables (straightness and adjustment indexes, movement unit, mean and final velocities). The correlation between kinematic variables and grasping was verified. The participants were nine low-risk preterm infants with no cerebral lesions. Ten fullterm infants served as control. In both groups, kinematic variables remained unchanged over age, except for the adjustment index, which was higher at 6 months in the preterm group. Successful grasping increased in both groups over age and it was shown to be negatively correlated with mean velocity in the preterm infants. At the ages of 6 and 7 months, preterms showed lower mean and final velocities and higher adjustment index when compared with fullterms. The relative constancy in the kinematic variables suggests that, after having explored the action possibilities during the acquisition phase, the infants selected an adaptative pattern to perform the reaching movements. Slower movements and greater adjustments may be functional strategies of preterms to achieve successful grasps.
