Evaluation of physical and cardiorespiratory fitness in 7-year-old prematurely born children - preliminary study.

Abstract

Premature birth is connected with the risk of incidence of numerous health complications, the consequences of which are observed in the long-term. Decreased physical and cardiorespiratory fitness can also be associated with preterm birth. The aim of the study is evaluation of the development level of physical and cardiorespiratory fitness in 7-year-old prematurely born children. The following 7-year-old children were qualified for participation in the research: 30 children born on time and 30 children born prematurely. Physical fitness was evaluated with the International Physical Fitness Test (IPFT), whereas cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed on the basis of the Kasch Pulse Recovery Test. The results obtained demonstrate a lower level of physical and cardiorespiratory fitness in the studied group. Statistically significant differences are noticeable with respect to all IPFT components, except for long jump. The studied group display statistically significant higher values of pulse rate after exercise than the control group. On the other hand, there is no statistically significant correlation between a child's gestational age week of birth and the parameters evaluated. 7-year-old prematurely born children present lower physical and cardiorespiratory fitness than children born on time. The research results show a need for long-term monitoring of prematurely born children's development, as well as overall body efficiency. Further studies and observation of a higher number of patients are planned in order to confirm the findings.