Motor Development Comparison between Preterm and Full-Term Infants Using Alberta Infant Motor Scale

Abstract

The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) was developed to evaluate the motor development of infants up to 18 months of age. We studied 252 infants in three groups (105 healthy preterm infants (HPI), 50 preterm infants with brain injury (PIBI), and 97 healthy full-term infants (HFI) under 18 months, corrected age (CoA)) using AIMS. No significant differences were found among HPI, PIBI, and HFI in infants less than 3 months old, yet significant differences were noted in positional scores (p < 0.05) and total scores for those four to six months of age and seven to nine months of age. A significant difference was also found in standing items for infants over 10 months (p < 0.05). After four months, there was a difference in motor development between preterm (with and without brain injury) and full-term infants. In particular, there was a significant difference in motor development between HPI and HFI and between PIBI and HFI at four to nine months, when motor skills developed explosively (p < 0.05). After four months, motor developmental delays (10th ≥) were observed in HPI and PIBI at rates of 26% and 45.8%, respectively. Midline supine development, a representative indicator of early motor development, was slower even in healthy preterm infants than in full-term infants. AIMS has a good resolution to discriminate preterm infants who are showing insufficient motor development from 4 months to 9 months.

Physiotherapy Intervention on Premature Infants—A Pilot Study

“…However, even if an age correction were to be implemented, there is a specific delay in motor development in 41% of cases, among the analyzed subjects. Also, Ko J. et al [ 21 ], analyzing motor development between preterm and full-term infants, in a study of 252 subjects between 4 and 9 months of age, identified significant differences in motor development. The motor landmarks evaluated were in four distinct positions (ventral recumbency, supine recumbency, sitting, and standing positions).…”