Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control in Moderate-to-Late Preterm Infants Related to Sitting Development.

Noppharath Sangkarit,Ponlapat Yonglitthipagon,Wantana Siritaratiwat,Orawan Keeratisiroj,Surussawadi Bennett

doi:10.3390/children8090722

Noppharath Sangkarit, Ponlapat Yonglitthipagon + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/children8090722

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Journal: Children	Publication Date: Aug 24, 2021
Citations: 5	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Khon Kaen University, Naresuan University

Abstract

(1) Background: The assessment of postural segment control in premature infants seems to be critical during the onset of upright gross motor development, especially sitting. Identifying correlations between postural segment control and the development of sitting milestones could help with promoting optimal gross motor movement. However, data on this topic in home-raised premature infants via longitudinal design are still limited. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between postural segment control and sitting development through series assessments from the corrected age of 4 months until the early onset of independent sitting attainment. (2) Methods: 33 moderate-to-late premature infants were recruited. Their trunk segment control was assessed using the Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control (SATCo), and sitting development was examined by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). Relationships between SATCo and sitting scores were analysed using Spearman’s rank correlation (rs). (3) Results: significant fair-to-good correlations between segmental trunk control and sitting scales were found from 4 months (rs = 0.370–0.420, p < 0.05) to the age of independent sitting attainment (rs = 0.561–0.602, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusion: relationships between the trunk segment control and sitting ability of moderate-to-late preterm infants were increased in accordance with age.

Highlights

The sitting skill is an essential development and affects the subsequent fundamental motor development during childhood
The series assessments in this study examined segmental trunk control within three conditions—static, active, and reactive control—and the results of the study would display how late preterm infants progress with their segmental postural control during the sitting milestones from 4 months corrected age until the early onset of independent sitting
There were neonatal complications—27 had low birth weight, 9 infants had a history of mild bronchopulmonary dysplasia, 5 infants had a history of jaundice, and 1 infant was with G6PD deficiency

Summary

Introduction

The sitting skill is an essential development and affects the subsequent fundamental motor development during childhood. A World Health Organisation multicentre study reported that typically developing infants show a range of ability to sit without support in the age from 3.8 to 9.2 months [1]. Karasik et al showed that the early age for sitting attainment in full-term infants was approximately 5 months, depending on their different sitting practises and experiences [2]. The ability to control sitting balance gradually emerges in typically developing infants during the period from 2 to 9 months. A previous study reported that 50% of 37 moderate-to-late premature infants displayed delayed unsupported sitting at 10 months of age, while more than 9% had delayed unsupported sitting at 13 months of age [3]. 93 infants born between 24 and 35 weeks of gestation showed delayed sitting development at the corrected ages of 6 and 12 months [4]

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