The early development of head control in preterm infants

The Effects of an Early Physical Therapy Intervention for Very Preterm, Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

“…These items have demonstrated a longitudinal progression. 47,48 Assessment of infantile reflexes, spontaneous movement, and atypical features and tone is also included. 43 Based on weekly assessments using the LAPI and documentation of the presence of atypical features, the infant is classified as ''usual,'' ''unusual,'' or ''suspect.''…”

Head stability during whole body movements in spastic diplegia

“…It is commonly due to perinatal hypoxic±ischaemic insult in premature neonates resulting in lesions in the white matter adjacent to the cerebral ventricles, or periventricular leukomalacia. One of the earliest signs of spastic diplegia is delayed acquisition of the righting function of the head [1], which ensures control of head posture and movement along and around the body axis [1,2]. Head stability is of utmost importance for vision, as it fosters gaze stability and therefore image stability on the retina, facilitating the processing of visual information [3].…”

Effects of theophylline administration and intracranial abnormalities on protective head turning response in preterm infants

“…It is possible that with large numbers, statistical significance could have been achieved. Seven out of eleven infants in whom anatomical diagnosis was available, Lacey et al (3) reported six with chronic brain lesions. Only five of the infants in this study had mild dystonic abnormalities on follow up at six months.…”

“…In term infants, the absence of the response was reported to be associated with abnormal neurodevelopmental outcome (4). When it was considered together with the ratio of the upper to lower limb resistance to passive movement in preterm infants, its quantitative maturation was found to be significantly related to later motor development, lower maturation scores being associated with poor motor outcome (3).…”

“…Comparing term and preterm infants or among the preterm infants, low gestational age infants (LGA 31 to 38 weeks), and very low gestational age infants (VLGA) under 31 weeks had shown no significant differences in the maturation of the response at any postmenstrual age (PMA) (2,3). In term infants, the absence of the response was reported to be associated with abnormal neurodevelopmental outcome (4).…”