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A longitudinal study of early leg postures of preterm infants
J L Lacey1, D J Henderson-Smart, D A Edwards
1Department of Perinatal Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia.
Insights
This study tracked preterm infants
Area of Science:
- Neonatal development
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Infant biomechanics
Background:
- Preterm infants exhibit unique postural development challenges.
- Understanding early posture is crucial for assessing motor development.
- Antigravity posture development is a key indicator in neonates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally assess the development of resting pelvic and leg postures in preterm infants.
- To identify reliable observational measures for antigravity posture progression.
- To investigate factors influencing postural development in preterm neonates.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 106 preterm infants (25-34 weeks gestation) from 30 to 38 weeks post-menstrual age.
- Posture grading based on pelvic elevation, knee weight-bearing (prone), and leg rotation (supine).
- Correlation analysis with factors like oxygen dependency and intrauterine growth retardation.
Main Results:
- All assessed postural items showed statistically significant progressive trends with post-menstrual age.
- Infants requiring prolonged oxygen (>28 days) demonstrated significantly lower leg posture grades.
- Minimal postural regression was observed (less than 6%).
Conclusions:
- The studied postural observation items are valid measures for tracking antigravity posture development in preterm infants.
- Early postural development in preterm infants follows predictable patterns.
- Oxygen dependency is a significant factor associated with poorer leg posture in preterm infants.
Abstract:
The prone and supine resting postures of the pelvis and legs of 106 preterm infants (25 to 34 weeks gestation) were studied longitudinally between 30 and 38 weeks post-menstrual age. All the infants subsequently had normal motor development. Posture was graded in relation to three items: the angle of elevation of the pelvis and the weight-bearing surface of the knee in prone, and the angle of rotation of the leg in supine. Although no grade was found to be exclusive to a particular postmenstrual age, all three items showed a statistically significant progressive trend. Only less than 6 per cent of the infants regressed in grade during the study. Infants dependent on oxygen for more than 28 days had significantly lower grades for leg posture in both prone and supine. Posture was not significantly altered by time ex utero or by intra-uterine growth retardation. The results show that these observation items are suitable measures of the progressive development of antigravity postures of preterm infants.