Trends in Neuromotor Behavior of Preterm and Fullterm Infants in the First Year of Life: A Preliminary Report

Abstract

SUMMARY A follow‐up study of 150 fullterm and preterm infants was conducted to determine the similarities and differences in neuromotor behavior during the first year of life. Three groups (healthy fullterm, healthy preterm, sick preterm) were compared at three, six, nine and 12 months of age. In general, fullterm infants were more similar in their responses to the Neuromotor Behavioral Inventory and more consistently advanced than some preterm infants at all four examinations. The greatest distinction between fullterm and both preterm groups occurred at three and six months. By nine and 12 months fullterm and healthy preterm infants had more similar development, but some sick preterm infants continued to develop differently. It appeared that the influence of prematurity on neuromotor behavior, regardless of whether the infant was healthy or sick, was greatest before nine months of age. After nine months, health appeared to be a contributing factor to the infants' development. RÉSUMÉ Tendances dans le comportement neuromoteur du prématuré et du nourrisson néà terme. dans la première année de vie: rapport préliminaire Une étude longitudinale de 150 nourrissons, nés a terme ou prématurés, a été effectuée pour déterminer les similitudes et les différences dans le comportement neuromoteur durant la première année de vie. Trois groupes (nés à terme et en bonne santé, prématurés en bonne santé et prématurés souffrants) ont été comparés aux âges de trois, six, neuf et douze mois. En général, les nourrissons nés à terme étaient plus semblales dans leurs réponses à l'Inventaire de Comportement Neuromoteur et étaient significativement plus avaricés que quelques uns des prématurés aux quatre examens. Le plus grand écart entre les nourrissons nés à terme et les deux groupes de prématurés est apparu aux examens de trois et six mois. A neuf et 12 mois, les nourrissons nés à terme et les prématurés en bonne santé avaient un comportement plus ressemblant mais quelques uns des prématurés souffrants continuaient àévoluer différement. Il apparait que l'influence de la prématurité sur le comportement neuromoteur, indépendamment du fait que les nourrissons soient ou non en bonne santé, est plus marquée avant l'âge de neuf mois. Apres neuf mois, l'état de santé parait être un facteur contributif au développement du nourrisson. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Sensomotorische Entwicklung bei Früh‐ und Neugeborenen im Verlauf des ersten Lebensjahres: ein vorläufiger Bericht Bei 150 reif und zu früh geborenen Kindern wurde eine Verlaufsstudie durchgeführt, um die Übereinstimmungen und Unterschiede in der senso‐motorischen Entwicklung während des ersten Lebensjahres zu untersuchen. Drei Gruppen (gesunde Neugeborene, gesunde Frühgeborene und kranke Frühgeborene) wurden im Alter von drei, sechs, neun und 12 Monaten verglichen. Bei alien vier Untersuchungen waren die reif geborenen Kinder allgemein vergleichbarer in ihren Reaktionen beim Neuromotor Behavioral Inventory und stetiger in ihrer Entwicklung als einige Frühgeborene. Der größte Unterschied zwischen...

Development of walking in preterm and term infants: Age of onset, qualitative features and sensitivity to resonance

“…Our observation concerning the association of preterm birth with late walking attainment was consistent with the data of previous studies [19,21,28]. In this study, the age of onset of the preterm infants (mean 12.8 months) was about one month later than that of the normal term infants (mean 11.9 months) after correction for prematurity.…”

“…Some found that preterm infants attain walking ability at older ages than their normal term counterparts when corrected for prematurity [19][20][21]; while others reported similar ages [22,23]. Only two studies have assessed the qualitative aspects of early walking movement in preterm infants.…”

Posture and motility in preterm infants

“…Preterm infants often have low PMT, but seem to develop exaggerated AMP. This behaviour is most obvious in the trunk and legs and has often been described as hyperextension in preterm infants after term age [9][10][11][12][13][14][15] . It has been argued that usually this is a transient phenomenon and, unless related to other neurological signs, is disregarded as being of no importance for further development 16,17 .…”

Kangaroo mother care and mother-premature infant dyadic interaction

“…These mothers then feel unable to properly care for their children, which in turn heightens their anxiety ͑Barnett, 1970; Drillien & Wilkinson, 1964͒. It can be said, therefore, that the birth of a premature child is an event that will-in any case-increase maternal anxiety levels ͑Gorga, Stern, & Ross, 1985;Piper, Kunos, Willis, & Mazer, 1985͒. Kaplan and Mason ͑1960͒ identified some of the maternal psychological components which are associated with premature birth. Their seminal work showed how mothers of premature babies have an acute reaction to the trauma of giving birth before term.…”