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Neuromotor Development of Preterm Infants Through the First Year of Life
Doreen Bartlett1, Martha C Piper2
1a Graduate Student, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G4.
Insights
Preterm infants show different neuromotor development compared to full-term infants. Understanding this variability helps pediatric therapists identify true developmental abnormalities in high-risk infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates, particularly preterm infants, require ongoing neuromotor development monitoring.
- Full-term infant neuromotor development is often used as the benchmark for assessing preterm infants.
- Existing comparisons face challenges like non-homogeneous groups, poor matching, inadequate tools, and expectancy bias.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the differences in neuromotor development between preterm and full-term infants.
- To highlight the limitations in current assessment methodologies.
- To emphasize the need for a better understanding of preterm infant neuromotor variability.
Main Methods:
- Literature review examining studies comparing preterm and full-term infant neuromotor development.
- Analysis of methodological issues in comparative studies.
- Synthesis of findings on developmental differences.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests significant differences in neuromotor development between preterm and full-term infants.
- The extent and reasons for these differences remain largely unquantified.
- Methodological limitations hinder definitive conclusions.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants exhibit distinct neuromotor development trajectories.
- Accurate assessment requires acknowledging and addressing the variability in preterm neuromotor behavior.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the specific differences and inform clinical practice for pediatric therapists.
Abstract:
Physical and occupational therapists monitor the development of preterm infants graduating form neonatal intensive care units and frequently use the neuromotor development of fullterm infants as the criterion against which normality is judged. Despite the methodological problems of comparison on non-homogeneous groups, poor matching, inadequate measurement tools, and expectancy bias, the literature suggests that preterm infants develop differently from full term infants. Neither the extent nor reasons for differences and suggestions for future research are proposed. Knowledge of the variability of preterm infant neuromotor behavior should be useful to pediatric therapists aiming to identify those infants who truly are developing abnormally.