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Treadmill stepping in infants born prematurely
Insights
Low-risk premature infants demonstrate coordinated stepping on a treadmill as early as one month corrected age, outperforming full-term infants. This suggests early out-of-utero experience may enhance neuromotor development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neurorehabilitation
- Motor Control
Background:
- Premature birth can impact infant motor development.
- Understanding early neuromotor pathways in premature infants is crucial for timely interventions.
- Treadmill-based assessments offer insights into infant locomotion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the stepping abilities of low-risk premature infants on a treadmill.
- To compare the motor coordination of premature infants with full-term infants.
- To assess the influence of corrected age and treadmill speed on infant stepping patterns.
Main Methods:
- Twelve low-risk premature infants were observed at 1, 6, and 9 months corrected age.
- Infants performed five 20-second trials on a supported treadmill at three different speeds.
- Analysis included leg postures, limb movement parameters, and anthropometric measures from video recordings.
Main Results:
- Premature infants exhibited coordinated alternating steps responsive to speed changes at all observed ages.
- Compared to full-term peers, premature infants showed more coordinated steps.
- Premature infants displayed more extended leg postures during non-stepping phases than during initiated swings.
Conclusions:
- Low-risk premature birth does not appear to impede the neuromotor pathway for stepping.
- Early exposure to treadmill stepping may facilitate motor development in premature infants.
- These findings highlight the potential benefits of early motor interventions for preterm infants.
Abstract:
Premature infants stepped on a treadmill as early as 1-month corrected age and they performed more coordinated alternate steps than their full-term peers. Twelve low-risk premature infants were observed at 1-, 6- and 9-months corrected-age. The infants were supported on a treadmill for five 20-s trials at three speeds. The following data were analysed from the video records: (1) Leg postures in treadmill-moving and non-moving trials, (2) various parameters of limb position and movement during each step cycle, and (3) multiple anthropometric measures. Premature infants at all ages performed coordinated alternating steps which responded to changes in speed. The premature infants had more extended leg postures during non-stepping analysis than they did once the swing was initiated. Low-risk premature birth did not interfere with the neuromotor pathway. Experience out-of-utero may have facilitated stepping.