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Impact of Early Exposure to Play Materials on Motor Development in High-Risk Infants: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Mrunmayi S Gadre1, Vinuta R Deshpande1
1Department of Paediatric Physiotherapy, KLE Institute of Physiotherapy, Belagavi, Karnataka, India.
Insights
Early exposure to age-appropriate toys for six weeks significantly enhanced motor development in high-risk infants. This intervention improved gross and fine motor skills, as well as reflex scores.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Occupational Therapy
Background:
- High-risk infants often experience developmental delays.
- Early intervention is crucial for optimizing motor development outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of early play material exposure on motor development in high-risk infants.
- To assess the efficacy of a 6-week intervention program.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial with 36 high-risk infants (18 per group).
- Intervention involved 6 weeks of exposure to age-appropriate play materials.
- Motor development assessed using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale 2nd Edition (PDMS-2).
- Data analyzed using statistical tests including t-tests and Chi-square.
Main Results:
- The experimental group showed significant improvements in raw reflex, stationary, locomotion, grasp, and visual motor scores.
- Significant gains were observed in Gross Motor Quotient (GMQ), Total Motor Quotient (TMQ), and Fine Motor Quotient (FMQ).
- While some differences were noted between groups, the within-group improvements in the experimental group were substantial.
Conclusions:
- A six-week intervention of early exposure to age-appropriate toys is beneficial for enhancing motor development in high-risk neonates.
- This finding supports the use of targeted play-based interventions for at-risk infant populations.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of early exposure to play materials on motor development in high-risk infants.
Materials And Methods:
A 1:1 parallel group randomised control study was conducted. A total of 36 participants were recruited, with 18 in each group. The intervention lasted 6 weeks for both groups, with follow-ups in the 2nd and 4th weeks. The Peabody Developmental Motor Scale 2nd Edition (PDMS-2) was used as an outcome measure. The data was analysed using the Likelihood Ratio test, Chi-square test, independent sample t-test, and paired t-test.
Results:
There was no difference between the groups except for the raw reflex scores (t = 3.29, p = 0.002), raw stationary scores (t = 4.26, p < 0.001), standard stationary scores (t = 2.57, p = 0.015), and Gross Motor Quotient (GMQ) (t = 3.275, p = 0.002). Statistical significance within the experimental group was observed in the raw reflex (t = -5.16, p < 0.001), stationary (t = -10.5, p < 0.001), locomotion (t = -5.67, p < 0.001), grasp (t = -4.68, p < 0.001), and visual motor (t = -5.03, p < 0.001) scores, as well as the standard stationary (t = -2.87, p = 0.010), locomotion (t = -3.43, p = 0.003), grasp (t = -3.28, p = 0.004), and visual motor (t = -5.03, p < 0.001) scores. Quotients were the GMQ (t = -7.31, p < 0.001), Total Motor Quotient (TMQ) (t = -5.71, p < 0.001), Fine Motor Quotient (FMQ) (t = -6.48, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The current study concludes that a six-week treatment of early exposure to age-appropriate toys is advantageous in enhancing motor development in high-risk neonates.
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