Prevalência de atraso motor em prematuros menores de 1500g

Abstract

Introduction: Prematurity contributes to global neuropsychomotor developmental delay. The lower the gestational age and birth weight, the greater the risk of neurodevelopmental complications. With the rise in the survival of preterm infants, it is important to investigate and intervene in motor dysfunctions, which may interfere with the acquisition of gross and fine motor skills in these children in the future. Knowing the prevalence of motor delay will allow for an early intervention in an attempt to minimize damage and stimulate development while the brain is still adaptable to changes. Objective: The present study evaluated the prevalence of motor delays in premature infants, born weighing less than 1.500g, followed up at Ambulatório de Bebês de Alto Risco of Centro Clínico da Universidade de Caxias do Sul. Methodology: Cross-sectional study that consecutively evaluated the motor development of preterm children, weighing less than 1,500g, up to 13 months of corrected age, who were being followed up at the Ceclin-UCS clinic. The assessment used the Alberta Infant Motor Scale and was applied at the first outpatient consultation by two trained physical therapists. The population was classified according to the percentile of motor performance for age corrected for: normality (percentile above 25), suspected motor development (6 to 25), or motor delay (0 to 5). Results: The prevalence (95% CI) of delayed motor development was 23.5% (15.0; 32.0). Suspicious motor development was observed in 41% and only 35.5% had a normal development. Of the 102 children evaluated, 50% were boys, with a median birth weight of 1.200g (1045; 1315). The greater weight z-score on discharge showed a significant protective association with motor delay. No significant differences were observed in the distributions of the other maternal or neonatal variables between the evaluated groups. Conclusion: The high prevalence of motor delay and the low level of normality in motor development in the studied sample both point to the need for early actions, with intervention in prenatal care, guidance to caregivers and referral for early stimulation soon after birth. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]