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Reaching strategies of very preterm infants at 8 months corrected age
Helena Grönqvist1, Katarina Strand Brodd, Claes von Hofsten
1Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Box 1225, 75142 Uppsala, Sweden. Helena.gronqvist@psyk.uu.se
Insights
Very preterm infants successfully catch moving objects like full-term infants but use less efficient reaching strategies. At 8 months corrected age, they exhibit more bimanual actions and curved paths.
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Motor control
- Infant motor development
Background:
- Preterm birth can impact neurodevelopment and motor skills.
- Understanding early motor strategies is crucial for identifying developmental differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare reaching strategies and kinematics in very preterm infants versus full-term infants.
- To assess motor performance when reaching for a moving object at 8 months corrected age.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 3D motion analysis system to track infant hand and object trajectories.
- Observed 8-month-old infants (corrected age) reaching for a moving toy on a semicircular path.
- Compared reaching success rates, strategy use (unimanual vs. bimanual), and path curvature.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in successful target encounters between very preterm and full-term infants.
- Very preterm infants demonstrated increased use of bimanual reaching strategies.
- Reaching paths were more curved in the very preterm group compared to the full-term group.
Conclusions:
- Very preterm infants achieve comparable success in intercepting moving objects.
- Despite similar success, their reaching kinematics indicate less efficient motor strategies at 8 months corrected age.
- Findings highlight subtle motor control differences in very preterm infants that warrant further investigation.
Abstract:
Reaching strategies and kinematics for a group of very preterm infants were investigated and compared with a group of full-term infants when reaching for a moving object. Eight-month-old (corrected-age) infants were presented with small toys moving on a semicircular path in the vertical plane. The trajectories of the target and the hands of the infants were measured using a 3D motion analysis system. No differences were found in how often the infants encountered the target. The very preterm group, however, used bimanual strategies more often and had more curved reaching paths than the full-term group. These results suggest that very preterm infants are equally successful as healthy full-term infants in catching a moving object but their reaching strategies are less efficient compared with full-term infants at 8 months (corrected age).
