Hand function in low-risk preterm infants: its relation to muscle power regulation

Some preterm infants show a discrepancy in muscle power often recognisable as hyperextension of trunk and shoulders. Even if there is no evident pathology involved, the hyperextension influences later hand function. In this study we assessed a group of healthy infants (N=51) at the age of 39 weeks: 32 were born preterm (and corrected for gestational age) and 19 were born at term. Both quantitative and qualitative measures of hand function were obtained. It was found that the preterm infants scored significantly lower scores in both assessments for hand function. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between the quality of hand function at the age of 39 weeks and hyperextension of the trunk at 18 weeks. Hyperextension of the trunk at 18 weeks had a high predictive value for poor hand function at 39 weeks and thus should hold implications for clinical and therapeutic management.