Reaching strategies of very preterm infants at 8 months corrected age

Abstract

Reaching strategies and kinematics for a group of very preterm infants were investigated and compared with a group of full-term infants when reaching for a moving object. Eight-month-old (corrected-age) infants were presented with small toys moving on a semicircular path in the vertical plane. The trajectories of the target and the hands of the infants were measured using a 3D motion analysis system. No differences were found in how often the infants encountered the target. The very preterm group, however, used bimanual strategies more often and had more curved reaching paths than the full-term group. These results suggest that very preterm infants are equally successful as healthy full-term infants in catching a moving object but their reaching strategies are less efficient compared with full-term infants at 8 months (corrected age).

Infants in Control: Prospective Motor Control and Executive Functions in Action Development

“…Prospective motor control in reaching is well studied (Cunha et al, 2015;Grönqvist, Strand Brodd, & von Hofsten, 2011;von Hofsten & Rönnqvist, 1993;von Hofsten, 1979von Hofsten, , 1991von Hofsten, , 1993) and large parts of this thesis deal with this aspect of motor development. How does prospective motor control influence reaching and how can a well-controlled reach be described?…”

Early reach to grasp development of infants with asymmetric brain injury on the Grasp and Reach Assessment of Brisbane (GRAB)

“…[176][177][178]186,187 Other studies have compared reach to grasp development of preterm infants or infants with stroke to healthy, term-born infants aged two to seven months. 109,177,181 Movement quality and anticipatory strategies during reaching for moving toys using kinematic analysis has been reported previously. 181 Behavioural coding from videorecorded assessments to measure reaching to contact toys in the midline, 109,178 or bimanual manipulation of toys in the midline 177 has also been reported.…”

“…109,177,181 Movement quality and anticipatory strategies during reaching for moving toys using kinematic analysis has been reported previously. 181 Behavioural coding from videorecorded assessments to measure reaching to contact toys in the midline, 109,178 or bimanual manipulation of toys in the midline 177 has also been reported.…”

“…Other studies have compared reach and grasp behaviours of preterm infants or infants with stroke to healthy, term-born infants as young as two to four months. 109,181 Specifically, one study examined movement quality and anticipatory strategies during reaching towards a toy being moved in a semi-circular path across a magnetic surface 181 ; while another quantified the number and duration of toy contacts, number of reaches and examined hand orientation during toy contact towards a toy presented at the midline. 109 In contrast, the present study examined only one time point for unimanual and bimanual reach and grasp behaviours (including the number of unimanual contacts, grasps and bimanual grasps) in infants with asymBI compared to healthy, term-born infants at 18 weeks C.A.…”

“…Previous studies have examined and described: (i) the development of reach and grasp skills of healthy, term-born infants (e.g. 30,34,40,96,157,179,180 ); (ii) the early development of reaching in preterm infants (< 33 weeks gestational age; GA) compared to healthy, term-born infants 109,181 ; and (iii) the early development of UL behaviours in infants with neonatal stroke compared to healthy, term-born infants (< eight months C.A. 83,177 ).…”