Parachute and lateral propping reactions in preterm children

Abstract

-A non-controlled, prognostic cohort study was performed with the aim of establishing markers of neurological development and defining a clinical and epidemiological profile of preterm newborns at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of gestation-corrected age in terms of parachute and lateral propping reactions. Newborns with gestational age of up to 36 weeks and 6 days, weighing 2,000 g or less at birth, were included in the study At 6 months of age, parachute and lateral propping reactions were present in 8.1% of the patients. At 9 months, the parachute reaction was present in 87.5%, and the lateral propping reaction was present in 90% of the children. It was possible to assess parachute and lateral propping reactions in preterm children in the first year of life. Alterations in trunk-limb coordination may be evidenced in the 1st year of life through postural reactions, which are maintained as prematurity markers until school age.KEY WORDS: psychomotor performance, parachute, lateral propping, preterm newborn. Reações de paraquedismo e apoio lateral em crianças prematurasRESUMO -Com o objetivo de traçar um perfil clinico-epidemiológico e estabelecer marcos do desenvolvimento neurológico de recém-nascidos prematuros aos 3, 6, 9 e 12 meses de idade corrigida, quanto às reações do paraquedismo e do apoio lateral, foi realizado estudo de coorte não controlado, com enfoque prognóstico. Foram incluídos no estudo recém-nascidos com idade gestacional até 36 semanas e 6 dias, com 2000g ou menos de peso ao nascimento. As reações do paraquedismo e apoio lateral estavam presentes em 8,1% aos 6 meses, em 87,5% e 90% respectivamente aos 9 meses. Foi possível avaliar as reações posturais do paraquedismo e do apoio lateral em crianças prematuras no periodo de um ano. Alterações na coordenação tronco-membros pode ser evidenciada no 1 o ano de vida através de reações posturais, que são mantidas como marcadores de prematuridade até a idade escolar. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: desenvolvimento neurológico, paraquedismo, apoio lateral, recém nascido prematuro.

Development of the forward parachute reaction and the age of walking in near term infants: a longitudinal observational study

“…Our study investigated the development of FPR in a large sample of near term infants, during the first year of life. We found that most of infants showed a complete FPR as previously shown both in term [ 10 ] and preterm infants [ 9 ] which was correlated to the age of acquisition of independent walking. Furthermore, we identified another consistent group of infants (the 21% of the whole sample) who developed an incomplete FPR only, in most cases at 6 months, and acquired an independent walking later on.…”

“…In term born infants, some authors [ 7 , 8 , 10 ] have shown that a complete FPR is developed within 12 months of age, whereas we have less information about the timing of the incomplete one [ 7 ]. In preterm infants, one study only [ 9 ] investigated the FPR, in a small group of infants, with findings similar to term born babies, but information is still lacking regarding near term infants. Then, the aim of this study was to describe, in a large sample of near term infants, both the characteristics and the timing of FPR throughout the first year of life and its correlation with the age of acquisition of independent walking.…”

Neurological Examination at 6 to 9 Months in Infants with Cystic Periventricular Leukomalacia

“…This variability may be partly explained by the fact that 65 % of our infants had examinations performed between 6 and 7 months. Previous studies have reported that a parachute reaction is present in less than 10% of preterm infants at 6 months corrected age [15]. Although we cannot exclude that a proportion of the infants we examined at 6 months may have developed a parachute reaction by 9 months (data not available), 6 of the 7 children who achieved independent ambulation were assessed between 6 and 7 months and all had a parachute reaction.…”

Influence of intrauterine and extrauterine growth on neurodevelopmental outcome of monozygotic twins

“…MDI and PDI were standardized to a mean of 100, with an SD of 15, and children whose scores were within this range (100 ± 1 SD) were considered normal. In all cases, scores were adjusted for gestational age (26). All assessments were blind to the child's birth weight and were performed by a trained psychologist.…”