Motor development evaluated by Test of Infant Motor Performance: comparison between preterm and full-term infants

Abstract

OBJECTIVES To compare the motor development of preterm infants whose gestational age had been corrected to 38-40 weeks with full term newborns using the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP). METHODS The cross-sectional study compared preterm infants (PT group), with a gestational age at birth of 28-33 weeks, at an equivalent age to full term newborns (FT group), who were assessed up to 48 hours after birth. The assessments were performed between December 2008 and April 2009 in a hospital nationally recognized for premature infant care in the city of Recife, PE, Brazil. The sample consisted of 92 infants, 46 in each group. The test was administered at age 38-40 weeks (or equivalent age in the PT group). RESULTS In the 46 preterm infants studied, 26.1% were classified as atypical, while in the FT group 100% were classified as typical (p<0.001). Moreover, there was a significant difference in average raw TIMP score between the two groups, with the PT group being lower (p<0.001). CONCLUSION According to TIMP performance, prematurity seems to be associated with impaired motor development.