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Journal of Human Growth and Development
Print version ISSN 0104-1282On-line version ISSN 2175-3598
Abstract
FORMIGA, Cibelle Kayenne Martins Roberto; VIEIRA, Martina Estevam Brom; FAGUNDES, Rayne Ramos and LINHARES, Maria Beatriz Martins. Predictive models of early motor development in preterm infants: a longitudinal-prospective study. J. Hum. Growth Dev. [online]. 2017, vol.27, n.2, pp. 189-197. ISSN 0104-1282. http://dx.doi.org/10.7322/jhgd.111288.
INTRODUCTION: Preterm infants are vulnerable to developmental delays. Detecting problems at an early age is one of the challenges of professionals and researchers in the area. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the motor development and to identify the risk factors associated with predictors of overall and motor delay in preterm newborns. METHODS: Eighty preterm infants (50% female; mean gestational age = 33 ± 2.2 weeks) with low birth weight (average of 1,715 ± 437 g) were evaluated using the Neurobehavioral Assessment of the Preterm Infant (NAPI) during the neonatal phase (prior to term age), the Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST-II) between 2 and 8 months, the Test of Infant Motor Performance between 2 and 4 months regarding motor development and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale between 4 and 8 months. RESULTS: Neurobehavioural delay was noted in 24% of the infants in the neonatal phase. Between 2 and 8 months, the delay in overall development was ≥ 31% and the delay in motor development was 35-36 %. Decreased levels of alertness, orientation, motor development and vigour according to the NAPI were shown to be predictive of a delay in development between 4 and 6 months of age. The delay in overall development between 2 and 6 months was predictive of a delay in motor development between 6 and 8 months. CONCLUSION: Neurobehavioural variables, hospital stay and overall delay are good predictors of motor development during the first year of age.
Keywords : preterm; motor development; infants; predictive model.