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Associations between physical activity and development in preschool-aged children born <30 weeks' gestation: a cohort

Tara L FitzGerald1,2, Kate L Cameron3,2, Reem A Albesher2,4

  • 1Department of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia tara.fitzgerald@unimelb.edu.au.

Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition
|February 26, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Physical activity (PA) positively impacts motor, cognitive, and social-emotional skills in children born preterm. Neonatal brain injury may increase risk for low PA in these children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Children born preterm (<30 weeks' gestation) often face developmental challenges.
  • Physical activity (PA) is crucial for child development, but its role in preterm infants requires further investigation.
  • Identifying risk factors for low PA in this vulnerable population is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between physical activity (PA) and developmental outcomes (motor, cognitive, social-emotional) in children aged 4-5 years born preterm.
  • To identify subgroups of preterm children at risk for insufficient PA.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal cohort study involving 123 children born <30 weeks' gestation.
  • Developmental assessments included MABC-2, L-DCDQ, WPPSI-IV, and SDQ.
  • PA was measured using accelerometers and parent diaries over 7 days; linear regression analyzed effects.

Main Results:

  • Increased PA correlated with better motor skills (MABC-2 aiming/catching) and higher social-emotional scores (SDQ prosocial).
  • Higher PA was linked to lower cognitive processing speed (WPPSI-IV).
  • Neonatal major brain injury was associated with reduced moderate-to-vigorous and unstructured PA.

Conclusions:

  • Higher physical activity levels are associated with improved motor, cognitive, and social-emotional development in 4-5-year-old children born preterm.
  • Children with neonatal brain injury may be at higher risk for low PA during the preschool years.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child DevelopmentChild HealthPaediatrics

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