title: Effect of early intervention on premature infants' general movements.
abstract: This study is to investigate the characteristics of premature infants' general movements (GMs) and the effect of early intervention on their GMs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey was carried among 285 premature infants. (1) Before intervention, the correlation between the gestational age/ birth weight and the GMs was evaluated. (2) The cases were divided into early intervention group (n=145) and control group (n=140), each group was divided into <32 weeks, 32-34 weeks and >34 weeks group according to gestational age. The early intervention was begun at the 3rd day after birth to 54th week gestational age. The rate of GMs among each group was compared after intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) Before intervention, gestational age/birth weight was negatively correlated with the rate of cramped-synchronized (CS) (r=-0.988, r=-0.95, p<0.01), while no correlation with the rate of poor repertoire (PR) (r=0.122, r=0.168, p>0.05). (2) After intervention, for the writhing movement, there was no significant difference (χ2=0.509, 1.401, 0.519, p>0.05) between the early intervention group and the control group. Nevertheless, for the fidgety movement, there was significant difference (χ2=7.921, χ2=5.763, p<0.05) between the two groups, especially in <32 weeks group (χ2=5.578, 4.067 p<0.05) and in >34 weeks group (χ2=5.757, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) It shows that the lower birth weight or the younger delivery gestational age, the more abnormal GMs in premature infants. (2) Early intervention could improve the fidgety movements of premature infant.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Union Hospital, Bin Zhou Medical College, China.
authors: Liang
authors: L
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Rehabilitation, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, China.
authors: Bingshang
authors: B
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Union Hospital, Bin Zhou Medical College, China.
authors: Lingdan
authors: L
authors: Meng
authors: Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Union Hospital, Bin Zhou Medical College, China.
authors: Baohong
authors: B
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Union Hospital, Bin Zhou Medical College, China.
authors: Chunhui
authors: C
authors: Zheng
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital, Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, China. Electronic address: xinercah@163.com.
authors: Aihua
authors: A
authors: Cao
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002657:Child Development; D005865:Gestational Age; D006173:Gymnastics; D006801:Humans; D006875:Hydrotherapy / Q000379:methods; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: Birth weight; Early intervention; General movements; Gestational age; Premature infants