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Motor developmental status of moderately low birth weight preterm infants
Azita Tavasoli1, Faranak Aliabadi2, Rooholah Eftekhari2
1Department of Pediatric Neurology, Ali-Asghar Children's Hospital.
Insights
Moderately low birth weight (MLBW) infants show developmental delays, particularly in fine motor skills, compared to normal birth weight infants. Early monitoring is crucial for timely intervention in MLBW populations.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal development
- Pediatric motor assessment
Background:
- Motor development impairments are common in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
- Limited data exists on developmental outcomes for moderately low birth weight (MLBW) infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate developmental delays in preterm infants with moderately low birth weight (MLBW).
Main Methods:
- A historical cohort study compared 58 MLBW infants with 30 normal birth weight (NBW) controls.
- Infants were assessed at 18±2 months using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale II (PDMS-2).
- Exclusion criteria targeted infants with LBW complications affecting development.
Main Results:
- MLBW infants had below-average gross motor skills in 6.8% and fine motor skills in 17%.
- No significant difference in gross motor quotient between MLBW and NBW groups (P=0.1).
- MLBW infants scored significantly lower in fine motor (P=0.001) and total motor quotient (P=0.001).
Conclusions:
- MLBW infants exhibit fine motor skill developmental deficits.
- Emphasize accurate developmental monitoring for MLBW infants for early recognition and intervention.
Objective:
Motor development is frequently reported to be impaired in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, but little is known about the moderately low birth weight (MLBW) infants. The aim of this study was to investigate whether MLBW preterm infants present developmental delay.
Methods:
In a historical cohort study, 18±2 month-old infants with a history of low birth weight (LBW) were identified. All infants with complications of LBW with negative effects on development were excluded. Healthy infants with normal birth weight (2500-4000 g) were included as controls. All infants were evaluated by the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale II (PDMS-2) test and final scores compared between the two groups.
Finding:
88 infants including 58 MLBW and 30 NBW with a mean birth weight of 1900±382.4 g and 3150±473.5 g respectively, were studied. In the MLBW group, gross and fine motor skill scores were below average in 6 (6.8%) and 10 (17%) infants, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups according to gross motor quotient (102.5±5.5 in NBW vs 100.1±7.2 in MLBW; P=0.1), but MLBW infants achieved significantly lower scores in fine motor (93.3±5.4 vs 99.6±5.0; P=0.001) and total motor quotient (97.0±5.9 vs 101.53±5.0; P=0.001).
Conclusion:
The finding of this study show developmental defects in fine motor skills in MLBW infants. Accurate monitoring of the developmental status of this population should be emphasized for an earlier recognition and intervention.
