title: Prediction of gross motor development and independent walking in infants born very preterm using the Test of Infant Motor Performance and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  One objective of a neonatal follow-up program is to examine and predict gross motor outcome of infants born preterm.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the concurrent validity of the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), the ability to predict gross motor outcome around 15 months corrected age (CA), and to explore factors associated with the age of independent walking.
  
  
  METHODS
  95 infants, born at a gestational age <30 weeks, were assessed around 3, 6 and 15 months CA. At 3 months CA, correlations of raw-scores, Z-scores, and diagnostic agreement between TIMP and AIMS were determined. AIMS-score at 15 months CA and parental-reported walking age were outcome measures for regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The correlation between TIMP and AIMS raw-scores was 0.82, and between Z-scores 0.71. A cut-off Z-score of -1.0 on the TIMP had 92% diagnostic agreement (κ = 0.67) with an AIMS-score < P10. Neither TIMP- nor AIMS-scores at 3 months CA were associated with the gross motor outcome at 15 months CA. The AIMS-scores at 6 months CA predicted the AIMS-scores at 15 months CA with an explained variance of 19%. Median walking age was 15.7 months CA, with which only the hazard ratio of the AIMS at 6 months CA and ethnicity were significantly associated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prediction of gross motor development at 15 months CA and independent walking was not possible prior to 6 months CA using the AIMS, with restricted predictive value. Cultural and infant factors seem to influence the onset of independent walking.
authors.affiliation: Child Development and Exercise Center, Division of Pediatrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. j.nuysink@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nuysink
authors.forename: Ingrid C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: van Haastert
authors.forename: Maria J C
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Eijsermans
authors.forename: Corine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koopman-Esseboom
authors.forename: Paul J M
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Helders
authors.forename: Linda S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Janjaap
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van der Net
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016138:Walking
keywords: AIMS; Alberta Infant Motor Scale; BW; Birth weight; CA; Concurrent validity; Corrected age; GA; Gestational age; Gross motor development; Independent walking; Predictive validity; Prematurity; TIMP; Test of Infant Motor Performance