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Static balance function in children with a history of preterm birth
Zahra Eshaghi1, Zahra Jafari2, Shohreh Jalaie3
1MSc, Audiologist, Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, & Rehabilitation Research Center (RRC), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. z_eshaghi@razi.tums.ac.ir.
Insights
Preterm birth impacts brain development, leading to impaired static balance in children. Vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) tests reveal longer wave latencies, suggesting central vestibular pathway issues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Vestibular System Research
Background:
- Incomplete brain maturation in preterm children can cause long-term neurodevelopmental issues.
- Static balance function is crucial for overall motor development and is often affected in preterm populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate static balance function in children with a history of preterm birth.
- To explore the relationship between vestibular function and static balance in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- 31 preterm children (21 moderately preterm, 10 very preterm) and 20 term-born children aged 5.5-6.5 years participated.
- Cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) tests were conducted.
- Four static balance subscales from the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, 2nd edition (BOT-2) were administered.
Main Results:
- Very preterm (VPT) children exhibited significantly longer P1 and N1 wave latencies in cVEMP compared to term-born children (p=0.041).
- Preterm children, as a group, showed significantly lower scores on static balance subscales of the BOT-2 compared to term-born children (p=0.025).
- VPT children had longer P1 wave latency (p=0.003) and poorer performance on a balance beam task with eyes open (p=0.039) compared to moderately preterm (MPT) children. Significant correlations were found between BOT-2 balance scores and cVEMP latencies.
Conclusions:
- Longer cVEMP wave latencies and poorer static balance performance in preterm children suggest potential central vestibular pathway dysfunction.
- These findings highlight the importance of assessing vestibular function in the neurodevelopmental follow-up of preterm infants.
- Early identification of vestibular impairments may inform targeted interventions to improve motor outcomes.
Background:
The incomplete maturation of brain in preterm children results in long-term neurodevelopmental impairment. This study aimed to investigate the static balance function in children with a history of preterm birth.
Methods:
Participants were 31 preterm children including 21 moderately preterm (MPT), 10 very preterm (VPT), and 20 term children aged 5.5 and 6.5 years. The cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) test and four static balance subscales of BOT-2 were performed.
Results:
The VPT children showed a significant increase in P1 and N1 wave latencies in cVEMP test compared to those in the term children (p= 0.041). Mean scores in the four static balance subscales of BOT-2 were significantly lower in the preterm children compared to those in the term children (p= 0.025). The P1 wave latency (p= 0.003) and mean score of standing on a balance beam with open eyes (p= 0.039) were significantly lower in the VPT children compared to those in the MPT children. A significant correlation was observed between the mean score in exercise 4 (standing on one leg on a balance beam with closed eyes) of static balance subscales of BOT-2 and P1 (r= -0.267, p= 0.036) and N1 (r= -0.304, p= 0.016) wave latencies of cVEMP.
Conclusion:
The longer latency of cVEMP waves along with a poor performance of children with a history of preterm birth suggests a possible defect in central vestibular pathway.
