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Immediate Effect of Training at the Onset of Reaching in Preterm Infants: Randomized Clinical Trial
Elaine Leonezi Guimarães1, Eloisa Tudella
1a Department of Applied Physiotherapy , Health Sciences Institute, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro , Uberaba , Minas Gerais , Brazil.
Insights
A brief reaching training session improved motor skills in preterm infants. This intervention promoted slower, more controlled movements, mimicking typical development and suggesting a new evidence-based strategy.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Motor Control
- Infant Motor Development
Background:
- Preterm and low birth weight infants often exhibit delayed motor skill development.
- Reaching is a fundamental motor skill that emerges during infancy.
- Understanding early motor development is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the immediate effects of a short, specific training session on reaching kinematics in preterm infants.
- To assess if serial varied practice can enhance motor control during the emergence of reaching skills.
- To compare motor parameters between an experimental and a control group.
Main Methods:
- 16 preterm infants were randomly assigned to an experimental (5-min reaching training) or control group.
- Kinematic parameters of reaching were measured before and after the intervention.
- Statistical analyses, including intra- and intergroup comparisons, were performed.
Main Results:
- The experimental group showed a significant decrease in peak velocity after training.
- Significant differences in peak velocity were observed between the groups post-intervention.
- Training led to slower reaches with improved adjustment and fewer movement units.
Conclusions:
- A brief, specific reaching training session (serial varied practice) effectively improved kinematic parameters in preterm infants.
- The observed improvements in reaching resemble typical motor behaviors seen in term infants.
- This protocol offers a potential evidence-based intervention strategy for enhancing early motor skills in vulnerable infants.
Abstract:
The authors' aim was to investigate the immediate effect of a single specific training session (serial varied practice), of short duration on the kinematic parameters of reaching, in the period of the emergence of the skill in preterm and low birth weight infants. The study included 16 infants of both sexes, born at a mean gestational age of 32.13 (±1.36) weeks and mean birth weight of 1720.94 (±358.46) g. The infants were randomly divided into 2 groups: experimental and control. The experimental group was given a 5-min training session in reaching, while the control group received no training. The results showed significant differences in peak velocity in the intra (Z = -2.10, p = .036) and intergroup (U = 9.00, p = .016) evaluations, which decreased in the experimental group after training. Cohen's d test for clinical relevance suggested that the specific, short duration training proved effective in promoting slower reaches, with greater adjustment and lower number of units of movement. These results are positive for preterm infants given that these parameters more closely resemble the typical development of mature reaching behaviors in term infants, which suggests that this protocol of reaching training (serial varied practice) could be used as an evidence-based intervention strategy.
