Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable
Published on: May 17, 2024
Motor Development of Premature Infants Born between 32 and 34 Weeks
S A Prins1, J S von Lindern, S van Dijk
1Department of Pediatrics, Groene Hart Ziekenhuis, P.O. Box 1098, 2800 BB Gouda, The Netherlands.
Insights
Motor development in late preterm infants requires long-term monitoring. Early assessments in the first year do not reliably predict motor skill outcomes at four years of age.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neonatology
Background:
- Late preterm infants (born 32-34 weeks gestation) have limited data regarding their long-term motor development.
- Understanding motor skill progression is crucial for early intervention and optimizing developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term motor skill outcomes in infants born late preterm.
- To assess the predictive value of early motor assessments (3 and 9 months corrected age) for later development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking 70 late preterm infants.
- Motor skills assessed using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale at 3 and 9 months corrected age.
- Movement Assessment Battery for Children administered at 4 years corrected age.
Main Results:
- Nearly 80% of infants with abnormal motor assessments at 3 or 9 months showed normal outcomes at 4 years.
- Approximately 10% of infants with normal early assessments exhibited abnormal motor outcomes at 4 years.
- Early motor assessments in the first year were not predictive of 4-year outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Long-term follow-up is essential for late preterm infants.
- Motor development assessments during infancy are insufficient to predict long-term motor skill outcomes.
- Further research is needed to identify reliable predictors of motor development in this population.
Abstract:
Little is known about motor development in late preterm born infants. Our objective was to determine long-term outcome of motor skills of infants born between 32 and 34 weeks. All infants were assessed at corrected ages of 3 and 9 months, using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale. At corrected ages of 4 years, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children was done. Seventy infants were seen at 4 years of age (median of 3 assessments per infant). Abnormal assessment at 3 or 9 months of age resulted in normal outcome in almost 80% at 4 years. On the other hand, a normal outcome in the first year of life resulted in an abnormal outcome at 4 years in 10% of the infants. Our results suggest that long-term followup of these late preterm born infants is necessary, as the assessments in the first year do not predict the long-term outcome.
