Abstract
ObjectiveTo evaluate the Specific Test of Early Infant Motor Performance (STEP), a rapid screening test of preterm infants at risk for developmental delay.Study DesignWe prospectively studied 23 preterm infants’ performance on the STEP and the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) at term and 3 months, and on the Bayley-III at 12 months. We investigated the psychometric qualities of the STEP and determined STEP cutoff scores for low and high-performing infants.ResultsSTEP scores at term and 3 months strongly correlate with 12-month Bayley-III gross motor and cognitive scaled scores, while TIMP scores did not. The STEP showed excellent reliability and required 6–10 min to administer.ConclusionSTEP is a short, easy to administer, early developmental assessment with unique scoring that emphasizes qualitative and quantitative aspects of muscle tone in movements and predicts 12-month Bayley gross motor and cognitive scaled scores.
Highlights
Premature birth is a major risk factor for developmental delays, which may result in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) at 18–24 months of age or cognitive deficits [1, 2]
The Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) is a 42-item motor development test that takes ~45 min to administer at 34 weeks to 4 months corrected gestational age (CGA)
We previously performed Rasch partial credit analysis of all 42 items in the TIMP combined with kinematic study of early infant motor patterns, to select 10 movements that showed the greatest discrimination between preterm infants of different motor abilities [6]
Summary
Premature birth is a major risk factor for developmental delays, which may result in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) at 18–24 months of age or cognitive deficits [1, 2]. The Specific Test of Early Infant Motor Performance (STEP) is a novel developmental screening test for preterm infants designed for rapid and early detection of motor problems In constructing this test, we previously performed Rasch partial credit analysis of all 42 items in the TIMP combined with kinematic study of early infant motor patterns, to select 10 movements that showed the greatest discrimination between preterm infants of different motor abilities [6]. Our premise is that a well devised and validated early motor screening test could be administered in the nursery before discharge and in the clinic at term and 3 months, and predict later developmental outcomes With these studies, we determined the psychometric properties of this new early neurodevelopmental assessment (STEP), and prospectively assessed the predictive value of the STEP’s novel scoring scale for 12-month outcomes by Bayley-III assessment, compared with concurrent scores on the gold standard TIMP. We hypothesized that the STEP and TIMP would be positively related to motor outcomes at 12 months CGA
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
