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The Landau reaction in fullterm and preterm infants at four months of age
Insights
Preterm infants may exhibit subtle differences in muscle tone and postural reactions at four months, even when overall motor development appears similar to fullterm infants. These variations highlight the importance of detailed assessments beyond general motor milestones.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Motor Development
Background:
- Assessing motor development in infants is crucial for identifying potential delays or deviations.
- Preterm infants often require specialized monitoring due to potential developmental differences compared to fullterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare motor development, postural reactions, and muscle tone between preterm and fullterm infants at four months corrected age.
- To investigate the relationship between gestational age at birth and specific motor assessment scores.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Three-Component-Scale for the Landau reaction, Touwen Scale, Bayley Scales of Infant Development Motor Scale, and Movement Assessment of Infants Muscle Tone Scale.
- Assessed 12 fullterm and 11 low-risk preterm infants at four months of age.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant relationships were found between gestational age and scores on specific subcomponents of the Landau reaction (hip, kicking) and muscle tone assessments.
- Preterm and fullterm infants showed no significant differences in overall motor developmental level scores.
Conclusions:
- Gestational age at birth is associated with variations in specific postural reactions and muscle tone in infants at four months.
- While overall motor development may appear similar, subtle differences in muscle tone and postural control may persist in preterm infants.
Abstract:
Twelve normal fullterm infants and 11 low-risk preterm infants were assessed at four months of age. Assessments included a Three-Component-Scale for the Landau reaction, the Touwen Scale for the Landau reaction, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development Motor Scale, and the Movement Assessment of Infants Muscle Tone Scale. A statistically significant relationship was found between gestational age (preterm vs. fullterm birth) and scores on the hip and kicking subcomponents on the Three-Component-Scale for the Landau reaction, and also between gestational age at birth and scores on the summary of tone-extremities and total risk score items on the Movement Assessment of Infants. Although preterm and fullterm infants may not show differences in scores on motor developmental level assessments, variations in postural reactions and muscle tone may be present at four months of age.