Corpus Callosum and Motor Development in Healthy Term Infants

Background Daily experiences are thought to play an important role in motor development during infancy. There are limited studies on the effect of postural and movement experiences on head control. Objective The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of postural and movement experiences on head control through a comprehensive set of measurements beginning when infants were 1 month old. Design This was a prospective, longitudinal, 2-cohort study. Methods Twenty-two full-term infants who were healthy were randomly assigned to either a training group or a control group. Infants were observed every other week from 1 to 4 months of age. Head control was assessed using a standardized developmental assessment tool, the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP), as well as behavioral coding and kinematics of infants' head postures and movements in a supported sitting position. Caregivers performed at least 20 minutes of daily postural and movement activities (training group), or social interaction (control group) for 4 weeks. Results The training group had higher TIMP scores on head control–related items during the training period and after training stopped compared with the control group. Starting from the during training phase, the training group infants had their heads in a vertical and midline position longer compared with the control group infants. After training stopped, the training group infants actively moved their heads forward more often and for larger distances. Limitations The experiences outside daily training were not monitored, and the results may be specific to the experimental setup for infants with typical development. Conclusions Young infants are able to take advantage of postural and movement experiences to rapidly advance their head control as early as 4 to 6 weeks of postnatal life. Infant positioning, caregiver handling, and caregiver-infant interactions were likely contributing factors. This database of comprehensive measures may be useful in future trials focused on head control in infants with special needs.

Download Full-text

Relationship between segmental trunk control and gross motor development in typically developing infants aged from 4 to 12 months: a pilot study

BMC Pediatrics ◽

10.1186/s12887-019-1791-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tamis W. Pin ◽

Penelope B. Butler ◽

Hon-Ming Cheung ◽

Sandra Lai-Fong Shum

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Motor Development ◽

Full Term ◽

Developmental Trend ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Trunk Control ◽

Term Infants ◽

Gross Motor ◽

Gross Motor Development ◽

Young Infants

Abstract Background Trunk control is generally considered to be related to gross motor development. However, this assumption has not been validated with clinical data. This pilot study was the first of its kind to examine the longitudinal development of segmental trunk control and gross motor development from 4 to 12 months of age in typically developing full-term infants. Methods A convenience cohort of 20 healthy full-term infants (mean gestation = 39.0 weeks, SD 1.2; mean birthweight = 2975.0 g, SD 297.0; males = 10) was recruited. All study infants were tested and scored monthly by independent assessors using the Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale from 4 to 12 months of age. Results A developmental trend of segmental trunk control was found in the infants. Static vertical upright trunk control developed prior to active and reactive control. Statistically significant correlations were found between trunk control status and gross motor development mainly in prone and sitting positions from 8 months of age onwards (all p < 0.004, Spearman’s r ranged from 0.644 to 0.798). Conclusions This pilot study provides preliminary clinical evidence to support the inter-dependency between vertical upright trunk control and gross motor development in young infants, particularly as upright functional skills are gained. This suggests that a dual focus on training upright trunk control alongside gross motor skills could be of benefit in the treatment of infants with movement disorders.

Download Full-text

Growth and Development of Infants Surviving Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A 2-Year Follow-up

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.79.4.529 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 79 (4) ◽

pp. 529-537

Author(s):

Paula Piekkala ◽

Pentti Kero ◽

Matti Sillanpää ◽

Risto Erkkola

Keyword(s):

Intracerebral Hemorrhage ◽

Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽

Respiratory Distress ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Motor Development ◽

Growth And Development ◽

Distress Syndrome ◽

Fine Motor ◽

Term Infants

In a regional birth cohort of 5,356 live-born infants, during 12 consecutive months, 46 (0.9%) infants suffered from respiratory distress syndrome. Ten of them died before the age of 2 years. The cause of death was respiratory distress syndrome in two cases, intracerebral hemorrhage in four cases, asphyxia in one case, and congenital erythropoetic anemia in one case. Of the 36 survivors, 34 could be traced for the follow-up. Growth and development of the survivors with respiratory distress syndrome were compared with that of 3,375 term infants in the birth cohort with birth weights at the tenth percentile or above with no risk factors recognized during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or the neonatal period. Normal development was found in 85% of the survivors with respiratory distress syndrome and 99% of the control infants at the age of 2 years. Intracerebral hemorrhage and low one- and five-minute Apgar scores were associated with unfavorable outcome at 2 years in the survivors with respiratory distress syndrome. The developmental scores were significantly poorer than those of the controls at 2 years for gross motor, audiovisual, and psychosocial categories, whereas for fine motor development, the difference disappeared by the 2 years of age. The growth of the survivors with respiratory distress syndrome was satisfactory even if their heights remained below that of their control peers.

Download Full-text

Corpus callosum development in preterm and term infants

Pediatric Neurology ◽

10.1016/0887-8994(94)90046-9 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 141-144 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yasushi Fujii ◽

Masanori Kuriyama ◽

Yukuo Konishi ◽

Masakazu Saito ◽

Masakatsu Sudo

Keyword(s):

Corpus Callosum ◽

Term Infants

Download Full-text

Impact of physiotherapy on neuromotor development of premature newborns

Fisioterapia em Movimento ◽

10.1590/0103-5150.027.003.ao12 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 413-420 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Giselle Athayde Xavier Coutinho ◽

Daniela de Mattos Lemos ◽

Antônio Prates Caldeira

Keyword(s):

Preterm Infants ◽

Motor Development ◽

Perinatal Care ◽

Monitoring Program ◽

Full Term ◽

Control Group ◽

Term Infants ◽

Significance Level ◽

The Impact ◽

Neuromotor Development

Introduction The population of children born prematurely has increased in line with improving the quality of perinatal care. It is essential to ensure to these children a healthy development. Objective We evaluate the neuromotor development of a group of preterm infants regularly assisted by a physiotherapy service in comparison to full-term newborns, checking, so the impact of the service. Materials and methods We randomly assigned preterm and full-term infants that formed two distinct groups. The group of preterm infants was inserted into a monitoring program of physiotherapy while the other infants were taken as a control group not receiving any assistance in physiotherapy. The groups were compared using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) at forty-week, four and six months of corrected gestational age and the scores were compared using Student's t-test, assuming a significance level of 5% (p < 0.05). Results The preterm group had significantly lower scores at 40th week compared to the control group, but subsequent scores showed no significant differences between the two groups. Conclusion The timely and adequate stimulation was efficient to promote the motor development of premature infants included in a follow up clinic.

Download Full-text

SENSORY AND MOTOR DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-TERM INFANTS

Australian Journal of Physiotherapy ◽

10.1016/s0004-9514(14)60813-8 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

pp. 229-243 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yvonne R Burns ◽

Margaret I Bullock

Keyword(s):

Motor Development ◽

Term Infants

Download Full-text

Corpus callosum and motor function III - anisotropy of callosal motor fibers - A surrogate marker for motor development?

Brain Stimulation ◽

10.1016/j.brs.2008.06.160 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 299

Author(s):

I. Koerte ◽

B. Ertl-Wagner ◽

S. Berweck ◽

R. Stahl ◽

V. Brodbeck ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Corpus Callosum ◽

Motor Function ◽

Motor Development ◽

Surrogate Marker

Download Full-text

Differences in walking attainment ages between low-risk preterm and healthy full-term infants

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/s0004-282x2012000800007 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 70 (8) ◽

pp. 593-598 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ana P. Restiffe ◽

José Luiz D. Gherpelli

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Birth Weight ◽

Prospective Study ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Motor Development ◽

Full Term ◽

Term Infants ◽

Gross Motor ◽

Gross Motor Development ◽

Predictive Variables

OBJECTIVE: To compare gross motor development of preterm infants (PT) without cerebral palsy with healthy full-term (FT) infants, according to Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS); to compare the age of walking between PT and FT; and whether the age of walking in PT is affected by neonatal variables. METHODS: Prospective study compared monthly 101 PT and 52 FT, from the first visit, until all AIMS items had been observed. Results: Mean scores were similarity in their progression, except from the eighth to tenth months. FT infants were faster in walking attainment than PT. Birth weight and length and duration of neonatal nursery stay were related to walking delay. CONCLUSION: Gross motor development between PT and FT were similar, except from the eighth to tenth months of age. PT walked later than FT infants and predictive variables were birth weight and length, and duration of neonatal intensive unit stay.

Download Full-text