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Neuromotor and sensory development in preterm infants: prospective study
Özgün Kaya Kara1, Sedef Şahin2, Koray Kara3
1Department of Physical Therapy and Reabilitation, Akdeniz University Facutly of Health Sciences, Antalya, Turkey.
Insights
Preterm infants show risks in both motor and sensory development during their first four months. Early interventions targeting sensory development are crucial for improving outcomes in high-risk infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Development
- Pediatric Neurology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Preterm infants face significant developmental challenges.
- Early motor and sensory development are critical for long-term health outcomes.
- Understanding the interplay between motor and sensory skills in early infancy is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between motor and sensory development in preterm infants.
- To assess developmental trajectories in the first four months of life.
- To identify risks in motor and sensory domains for infants born at 32 weeks gestational age or less.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 56 high-risk preterm infants (born ≤32 weeks gestational age) was studied.
- Neuro Sensory Motor Developmental Assessment and Infant Sensory Profile-2 were administered at 1 and 4 months corrected age.
- Statistical analysis included Wilcoxon and Spearman's correlation tests.
Main Results:
- A significant difference in motor and sensory scores was observed between 1 and 4 months.
- High percentages of infants (86-91% at 1 month, 69-85% at 4 months) exhibited sensory development risks.
- A moderate to strong significant relationship was found between motor and sensory development.
Conclusions:
- Preterm infants are at considerable risk for both motor and sensory developmental delays.
- Early sensory-based intervention strategies warrant investigation for preterm populations.
- Longitudinal monitoring and targeted interventions are recommended for optimizing preterm infant development.
Aim:
To investigate the relationship between motor and sensory development in the first 4 months of life in preterm infants born at 32 gestational weeks and below.
Material And Methods:
The study consisted of 56 high-risk infants with a corrected age of 1 month who were born at 32 gestational weeks and stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit for at least 15 days. Neuro Sensory Motor Developmental Assessment and Infant Sensory Profile-2 were used for evaluation. These assessments were applied to preterm infants at the 1st and 4th months. The results of assessments were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. The relationship between the results of motor and sensory assessments was analyzed using Spearman's correlation test.
Results:
The mean gestational age of the infants was 29.58±2.09 weeks, their birth weights were 1233.87±251.22 grams, and their duration of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit was 26.48±9.58 days. There was a statistically significant difference between the Neuro Sensory Motor Developmental Assessment and Infant Sensory Profile-2 scores between the 1st and 4th months (p<0.05). It was found that there was a risk in terms of sensory development in 86-91% of the preterm infants at the 1st month and in 69-85% at the 4th month. There was moderate-strong degree of significant relationship between motor and sensory development.
Conclusion:
Considering the findings of our study, preterm infants are at risk for motor and sensory development. There is, therefore, a need for future research to investigate the effect of early sensory-based intervention approaches on preterm infants.
