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The relationship between segmental trunk control and gross motor performance in low birth weight born infants
Seval Kutlutürk Yikilmaz1, S Ufuk Yurdalan2, Fatma Kaya Narter3
1Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Istanbul Medipol University, Graduate School of Health Sciences, İstanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Low birth weight (LBW) infants with atypical motor development exhibit poorer trunk control. Segmental trunk control is strongly linked to gross motor skills in both LBW and normal birth weight infants.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Motor Development Research
Background:
- Trunk control is a critical component of overall gross motor development in infants.
- Understanding factors influencing trunk control is essential for early identification of developmental delays.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between segmental trunk control and gross motor performance in low birth weight (LBW) infants.
- To compare trunk control in LBW infants with typical versus atypical motor development.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 42 LBW and 43 normal birth weight (NBW) infants aged 3-9 months.
- Utilized the Segmental Assessment Trunk Control (SATCo) and Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) for evaluations.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation (r=0.835, p=0.001) was observed between gross motor performance and segmental trunk control across all infants.
- LBW infants with atypical motor development demonstrated significantly poorer trunk control compared to those with typical development (f=5.480, p=0.001).
- Segmental trunk control was found to be 0.398 times lower in LBW infants compared to NBW infants.
Conclusions:
- Segmental trunk control is a key predictor of gross motor performance in infants.
- Poorer trunk control in LBW infants, particularly those with atypical development, highlights a potential area for targeted early intervention.
Objective:
Trunk control is associated with gross motor development. This study examines the relationship between segmental trunk control and gross motor performance in low birth weight (LBW) infants.
Methods:
A total of 42 LBW infants and 43 normal birth weight (NBW) infants aged 3-9 months were sampled for this cross-sectional study. All infants were evaluated one time by the Segmental Assessment Trunk Control (SATCo) and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS).
Results:
Statistically high and significant correlations were found between gross motor performance and segmental trunk control in all sample populations (r = 0.835; p = .001). No statistically significant difference was found regarding the segmental trunk control between the groups (p = .119). The LBW infants with atypical motor development had poorer trunk control than the LBW infants with typical development (f = 5.480; p = .001).
Conclusion:
Our results show that LBW infants with atypical motor development had poorer trunk control than LBW infants with typical motor development. It was found that the segmental trunk controls of LBW infants were 0.398 times lower than in NBW infants.
