Article

AIM: To assess development of reaching and head stability in infants at very high
risk (VHR-infants) of cerebral palsy (CP) who did and did not develop CP. METHOD:
This explorative longitudinal study assessed the kinematics of reaching and head
sway in sitting in 37 VHR-infants (18 CP) one to four times between 4.7 months
and 22.6 months corrected age. Developmental trajectories were calculated using
linear mixed effect models. Motor function was evaluated with the Infant Motor
Profile (IMP) around 13 months corrected age. RESULTS: Throughout infancy,
VHR-infants with CP had a worse reaching quality than infants without CP,
reflected for example by more movement units (factor 1.52, 95% CI 1.16-1.99) and
smaller transport movement units (factor 1.86, 95% CI 1.20-2.90). Total head sway
of infants with and without CP was similar, but infants with CP used more head
movement units to achieve stability. The rate of developmental change in infants
with and without CP was similar. Around 13 months, head control and reaching
quality were interrelated; both were associated with IMP-scores. INTERPRETATION:
Infants with CP showed a worse kinematic reaching quality and head stability
throughout infancy from early age onwards than VHR-infants without CP, implying
that kinematically they do not grow into a deficit, but exhibit deficits from
early infancy on. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Reaching quality improves throughout
infancy in all infants at high risk (VHR-infants). Infants with cerebral palsy
(CP) show a worse reaching quality than VHR-infants without CP. Infants with CP
achieve head stability differently from infants without CP. Infants with CP
exhibit kinematic reaching problems from early age onwards.
CI - (c) 2017 Mac Keith Press.

Langue : ANGLAIS