Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 15, 2026
Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
Diagnostic tools used to assess the functional development of 2-year-old children born prematurely
Aneta Suder1, Julia Nawrot, Małgorzata Kulesa-Mrowiecka2
1Institute of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland. aneta.suder@uj.edu.pl.
Insights
Monitoring preterm infants
Area of Science:
- Neonatology and Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Preterm births constitute 6-7% of all births in Poland, presenting significant public health challenges.
- Preterm infants face risks for various short- and long-term health conditions.
- Current developmental monitoring primarily focuses on the first year of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the need for extended psychomotor development monitoring in preterm infants, particularly late preterm infants.
- To emphasize the importance of early diagnosis for timely therapeutic interventions.
- To advocate for regular, multidimensional developmental assessments beyond the first year.
Main Methods:
- The study emphasizes the necessity of periodic functional development assessments.
- It calls for regular and multidimensional developmental monitoring.
- Focus is placed on late preterm infants and their development beyond infancy.
Main Results:
- Delayed functional development in preterm infants requires timely intervention.
- Subtle developmental delays may manifest later in life.
- Extended monitoring is crucial for identifying and addressing these delays.
Conclusions:
- Extended psychomotor monitoring for preterm infants, especially late preterm infants, is essential.
- Multidimensional developmental assessments beyond the first year can detect subtle delays.
- Early intervention by specialists improves outcomes for prematurely born children.
Abstract:
In Poland, preterm infants account for 6-7% of all births. Preterm deliveries are associated with a number of short- and long-term health conditions and therefore pose a major public health challenge. Monitoring the psychomotor development of children born prematurely is a significant challenge for pediatricians and neonatologists. Early diagnosis of delayed functional development enables timely therapeutic intervention by developmental specialists, such as physiotherapists, educators, psychologists, and speech therapists. Currently, monitoring the development of preterm infants during the first year of life is common practice. However, due to the significant percentage of late preterm infants in the population of prematurely born newborn population, there is a justified need to focus on the periodic assessment of their functional development also beyond the first year of life. Regular and multidimensional developmental monitoring in this group of patients is crucial due to the increased risk of subtle but clinically significant developmental delays that may manifest at later stages of life.
