Paediatria Croatica, Vol. 64 No. 3, 2020.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.13112/PC.2020.25
Assessment of early motor repertoire in extremely preterm infants
Ana Katušić
orcid.org/0000-0002-7648-131X
Abstract
The qualitative and quantitative aspects of an infant’s early motor behaviour may predict later neurological impairments. Assessment of early motor repertoire in the writhing and fidgety age is the evaluation method of early neuromotor development in order
to determine neurodevelopmental risk. The aim of this study was to examine and describe the optimality of early motor repertoire
and the quality of general movements in extremely preterm infants without evident brain injury. The study included 45 infants born
before 28 gestational weeks with no evident brain lesion on magnetic resonance imaging at the term-equivalent age. The Prechtl
assessment of general movements and the optimality of the motor repertoire was made at the term-equivalent age and at the
corrected age of 3 months. Median gestational age was 25 weeks and 5 days. Normal writhing movements were observed in 13
(29%) infants. The median optimality score of motor repertoire at writhing age was 32 (interquartile range, IQR=20-40). Fidgety
movements were observed in 34 (76%) infants. The median optimality score of the motor repertoire at the fidgety age was 22
(IQR=12-28). A poor repertoire of writhing movements is a common feature of early neuromotor development of extremely preterm
infants, which is mostly transient in nature. The motor optimality score at fidgety age is lower than the one achieved by healthy termborn infants. The consequent absence of individual optimality criteria in motor behaviour of extremely preterm infants may serve as
a starting point for planning targeted early interventions.
Keywords
infant, PREMATURITY; MOTOR ACTIVITY; GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Hrčak ID:
251808
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2020.
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