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Haemophilia Infants Gross Motor Development: Comparisons With Full-Term and Preterm Infants of the Same Nationality
Dimitrios Syrengelas1, Athina Dettoraki2, Aikaterini Michalopoulou2
1Department of Pediatric Physical Therapy, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Insights
Infants with haemophilia show significantly delayed gross motor development compared to full-term and preterm infants. This lag is linked to reduced movement and restricted activities due to parental overprotection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Hematology
Background:
- Parental overprotection in infants with hemophilia hinders gross motor development.
- Standardized assessment of motor development in these infants is clinically crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess gross motor development in infants with hemophilia using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS).
- To compare motor development in infants with hemophilia against full-term and preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen full-term infants with hemophilia (Group D) were assessed using the AIMS.
- Comparisons were made with standardized AIMS data from full-term Greek infants (Group A) and two groups of preterm infants (Groups B and C).
- Statistical analysis involved ANOVA and Bonferroni correction for post hoc comparisons.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in mean Z-scores were observed across all four groups.
- Infants with hemophilia (Group D) exhibited the lowest mean Z-scores, significantly lower than preterm infants (Group C).
- Preterm infants in Group C had lower scores than those in Group B, who also lagged behind full-term infants (Group A).
Conclusions:
- Motor development in infants with hemophilia is significantly delayed compared to both full-term and preterm infants.
- Reduced movement activity and restricted positioning (e.g., being carried, limited floor time) likely contribute to the observed delays.
Introduction:
Infants with haemophilia, due to parental overprotection, have difficulty developing their full motor repertoire of typical gross motor development. It is of great clinical importance to evaluate the motor development of these infants with a standardized assessment tool.
Aim:
To study the gross motor development in infants with haemophilia, using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and compare it with full-term (FT) and preterm infants (PT).
Methods:
Fifteen FT infants with severe or moderate haemophilia A and B were assessed with the AIMS (Group D). The scale is already standardized in FT Greek infants (Group A). Two groups of PT infants were also included, with gestational age >32 weeks and ≤32 weeks, Groups B and C, respectively. The mean Z-scores were tested with the ANOVA procedure, followed by post hoc pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni correction.
Results:
The four groups had significantly different mean Z-scores. Infants in Group A had a mean Z-score of 0 ± 1. Infants in Group B lagged significantly behind by one standard deviation. Preterm infants in Group C had a mean Z-score significantly lower than Group B. Infants in Group D had a mean Z-score significantly lower than Group C.
Conclusions:
Motor development in infants with haemophilia significantly lags behind both FT and PT infants. Differences in AIMS scores could be attributed to the reduction of movement activity, since infants with haemophilia are often deprived of certain positions, being held and carried in the parents' arms, as well as from free play time on the floor.
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