EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF LOCOMOTION: SIGNIFICANCE OF PREMATURITY, CEREBRAL PALSY and SEX

Abstract

SUMMARY Data on the development of locomotion during the first two years of life were collected for 128 preterm infants (21 with varying degrees of cerebral palsy) and for 111 healthy term infants. Most stages of locomotion occurred at slightly later ages among the neurologically unimpaired preterm infants than among those born at term (age corrected for prematurity). There was no difference between preterm and term infants with regard to the number and types of pathways of locomotion, or to age at onset and type of first movements through space. By 95 months of age, 95 per cent of term infants and 92 per cent of preterm infants showed some ability to move through space. The infants with severe cerebral palsy had considerable delay in the development of locomotion, but this occurred to only a minor extent when the degree of cerebral palsy was mild or moderate. Most stages of locomotion occurred at slightly earlier ages for boys than for girls, but these differences were not significant at any age. The number and types of pathways of locomotion, and types of first movements, were comparable in both sexes. RÉSUMÉ Premier développement de la locomotion: role de la prémalurité de L'IMC el du sexe Des donnèes sur le développement de la locomotion durant les deux premières années de vie ont été recueillies chez 128 nourrissons prematureés (dont 21 avec des degrés variés d'IMC) et chez 111 nourrissons en bonne santé nés à terme. La plupart des étapes de locomotion survinrent à des âges légèrement plus tardifs chez les prématurés sans manifestation neurologique que chez les nourrissons nés à terme. Il n'y a pas eu de différence entre prématurés et nés à terme sur le nombre et les types de methode de locomotion, Page de debut et le type des premiers deplacements dans l'espace. A neuf mois et demi, 95 pour cent des nourrissons nés à terme et 92 pour cent des prématurés présentaient quelques capacités à se déplacer dans l'espace. Les nourrissons présentant une forme sévere d' IMC accusaient des délais considérables dans le développement de la locomotion mais ces délais étaient beaucoup plus limites quand le degre d'IMC était leger ou modere. La plupart des etapes de la locomotion survinrent á des âges légèrement plus précoces pour les garçons que pour les filles mais les différences n'étaient significatives à aucun âge. Le nombre et les types de méthode de locomotion et les types des premiers déplacements étaient comparables dans les deux sexes. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Frühe Bewegungsentwicklung: Bedeutung von Frühgeburt, Cerebralparese und GeschlechtVon 128 Frühgeborenen (21 mit unterschiedlich ausgeprägter Cerebralparese) und von 111 gesunden Kindern, die am Termin geboren wurden, wurden Daten über die Bewegungsentwicklung in den ersten zwei Lebensjahren gesammelt. Bei den neurologisch unauffälligen Frühgeborenen traten die meisten Bewegungsstadien nur wenig später auf als bei den am Termin geborenen Kindern. Zwischen Frtügeborenen und reifen Neugeborenen gab es keinen Unterschied hinsichtlich Zahl und Art der Bewegungsmuster od...

Differences in walking attainment ages between low-risk preterm and healthy full-term infants

“…Studies that compared walking onset ages between preterm infants without major neurological disabilities and normal full-term infants were inconclusive [9][10][11][12][13][14] . Some studies showed that preterm infants walk at older ages [10][11][12]14 , while others reported walking at similar ages as term infants 9,13 .…”

“…Some studies showed that preterm infants walk at older ages [10][11][12]14 , while others reported walking at similar ages as term infants 9,13 . Normal fullterm infants usually attain independent walking at about 12 months of age, and continuously refine their movement in the following years to establish a mature walking pattern 8,9,14 .…”

“…Normal fullterm infants usually attain independent walking at about 12 months of age, and continuously refine their movement in the following years to establish a mature walking pattern 8,9,14 . Accumulating data on preterm infants have shown that the measure of age at onset of walking reflects various degrees of motor delay [8][9][10]14 . These findings suggest that age at onset and quality of walking movement may be useful measures for diagnosing future minor motor abnormalities in preterm infants 14 .…”

The Neuronal Group Selection Theory: a framework to explain variation in normal motor development

“…The resulting multifarious primary networks enable the most appropriate circuitries to be selected. Indeed, ample variation characterizes the first phases of reaching and grasping behaviour 22,56,57 , of crawling [58][59][60] , of locomotor motility 21,41,61,62 , and of postural control 44,63,64 . The neural systems dedicated to a specific function explore, during the phase of primary variability, all motor possibilities available for that specific function.…”

Maturação da marcha em crianças com paralisia cerebral: Um estudo piloto

“…Para crianças normais, acredita-se que por volta dos 7 anos os aspectos relativos à aquisição da marcha já apresentem semelhança com os do adulto (Vásquez, 2005). Já em indivíduos que possuam alguma enfermidades que afete o processo de maturação neurológica serão observados desvios no desenvolvimento (Caram, Funayama, Spina, Giuliani, & Neto, 2006;Largo, Molinari, Weber, Comenale, & Duc, 1985), porém isto não implicará na impossibilidade de adquirir habilidades necessárias para a deambulação, sendo observado que os portadores de enfermidades conseguem desenvolver a locomoção, embora isso ocorra de forma mais lenta que nos indivíduos normais (Mancini et al, 2002). Estudo realizado por Ferreira (2008) com portadores de PC do tipo hemiparético encontrou valores abaixo do esperado para os parâmetros de maturação de marcha, assim como os obtidos neste estudo.…”