Spontaneous movements in the supine position of preterm infants with intellectual disability.
OBJECTIVE
Spontaneous movements at 2 months of corrected age in preterm infants with intellectual disability (ID) were investigated by assessing individual motor elements separated from movements involving the entire body.


METHODS
Video recordings of 20 preterm infants with ID (16 males, 4 females; median gestational age 26 weeks; median birth weight 810 g) were analyzed and were compared with those of 21 normal preterm infants (8 males, 13 females; median gestational age 30 weeks; median birth weight 1216 g).


RESULTS
In the preterm infants with ID at 2 months corrected age, startle response, lateral decumbent position, predominant shoulder rotation, and maintaining hip adduction were more frequently observed and hand sucking, maintaining shoulder abduction, to-and-fro shoulder abduction, to-and-fro elbow flexion, isolated hip adduction, to-and-fro hip abduction, and leg lift were less frequently seen than in the normal preterm infants (Fisher's exact test, p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Abnormal spontaneous movements at 2 months of age in preterm infants with ID result from persistent immature movements and non-emergence of mature movements.
Department of Neonatal Medical Center, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. Electronic address: kouwaki-toyomh@umin.ac.jp.
Masanori
M
Kouwaki
Department of Rehabilitation, Seirei-Mikatahara General Hospital, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
Mitsuko
M
Yokochi
Department of Rehabilitation Center, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan.
Takeshi
T
Kamiya
Department of Pediatric Neurology, Seirei-Mikatahara General Hospital, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
Kenji
K
Yokochi
D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D016683:Supine Position
General movements; Intellectual disability; Isolated movements; Preterm infants; Spontaneous movements