Fjørtoft T1,2, Ustad T1,2, Jørgensen L3,4, Kaaresen PI5, Øberg GK3,4
1Clinic of Clinical Services, St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway, 2Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway, 3Department of Health and Care Sciences, University of Tromsø, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway, 4Section of Physiotherapy, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway, 5The Newborn Intensive Department, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
Background: The motor repertoire at 3-5 months post-term age comprises in this study fidgety-movements (FMs), quality of overall movement character and finger postures. Previous studies have shown that infants born preterm who demonstrate abnormal motor repertoire may have increased risk of impaired motor and cognitive outcome.
Purpose: The aim is to describe the quality of the motor repertoire in a group of infants born at gestational age 32 weeks.
Methods: Video-recordings at mean 12.1weeks post-term age of 130 infants with mean birth-weight 1384.8(±384.5) grams and gestational age 29.7(±2.2), were included. “Assessment of Motor Repertoire-3-5 months”, a part of Prechtl's “General-Movement-Assessment” was used. FMs were classified as normal if present and abnormal if absent, sporadic or exaggerated. The movement character was classified as normal if smooth and fluent and abnormal if monotonous, stiff and jerky. Variable finger postures were classified as normal. Few finger postures, finger spreading, synchronised opening and closing fingers were classified as abnormal.
Results: Out of 130 infants 5(4%) had absence of FMs and 17(13%) had sporadic FMs. Sixty-seven (52%) had abnormal movement character and 54(42%) had abnormal finger postures. Among 108 infants with present FMs 46(43%) had abnormal movement character.
Conclusion(s): Almost half of the infants presented abnormal movement character and few finger postures at 12weeks post-term age. The fact that abnormal movement character and abnormal finger postures is seen so frequently in infants born preterm indicate that for most infants this abnormality is a transitional phenomenon but for others an indicator of later neurological impairment.
Implications: The results of this study suggest that abnormal motor repertoire is frequent in infants born preterm. Since the number of survivors of infants born preterm is increasing, it is important to have diagnostic tools with high enough sensitivity and specificity with respect to future needs. Just as important is to be able to reassure parents as early as possible that their children will develop normally and not suffer longstanding problems caused by their prematurity. Studies of general movements and the movement character in infancy could contribute to meet these challenges.
Keywords: premature, general movement, motor reperoire
Funding acknowledgements: the Norwegian Fund for Post-Graduate Training in Physiotherapy.
Purpose: The aim is to describe the quality of the motor repertoire in a group of infants born at gestational age 32 weeks.
Methods: Video-recordings at mean 12.1weeks post-term age of 130 infants with mean birth-weight 1384.8(±384.5) grams and gestational age 29.7(±2.2), were included. “Assessment of Motor Repertoire-3-5 months”, a part of Prechtl's “General-Movement-Assessment” was used. FMs were classified as normal if present and abnormal if absent, sporadic or exaggerated. The movement character was classified as normal if smooth and fluent and abnormal if monotonous, stiff and jerky. Variable finger postures were classified as normal. Few finger postures, finger spreading, synchronised opening and closing fingers were classified as abnormal.
Results: Out of 130 infants 5(4%) had absence of FMs and 17(13%) had sporadic FMs. Sixty-seven (52%) had abnormal movement character and 54(42%) had abnormal finger postures. Among 108 infants with present FMs 46(43%) had abnormal movement character.
Conclusion(s): Almost half of the infants presented abnormal movement character and few finger postures at 12weeks post-term age. The fact that abnormal movement character and abnormal finger postures is seen so frequently in infants born preterm indicate that for most infants this abnormality is a transitional phenomenon but for others an indicator of later neurological impairment.
Implications: The results of this study suggest that abnormal motor repertoire is frequent in infants born preterm. Since the number of survivors of infants born preterm is increasing, it is important to have diagnostic tools with high enough sensitivity and specificity with respect to future needs. Just as important is to be able to reassure parents as early as possible that their children will develop normally and not suffer longstanding problems caused by their prematurity. Studies of general movements and the movement character in infancy could contribute to meet these challenges.
Keywords: premature, general movement, motor reperoire
Funding acknowledgements: the Norwegian Fund for Post-Graduate Training in Physiotherapy.
Topic: Paediatrics; Neurology
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
Ethics committee: REC North in Norway
Ethics number: REC North: 2009/916-7
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
