Impact of selected risk factors on motor performance in the third month of life and motor development in the ninth month

BACKGROUND: Proper motor development can be influenced by a range of risk factors. The resulting motor performance can be assessed through quantitative and qualitative analysis of posture and movement patterns. METHODS: This study was designed as the cohort follow-up of the motor assessment and aimed to demonstrate, in a mathematical way, the impact of particular risk factors on elements of motor performance in the 3(rd) month and the final motor performance in the 9(th) month of life. Four hundred nineteen children were assessed (236 male and 183 female), including 129 born preterm. Each child aged 3 month underwent a physiotherapeutic assessment of the quantitative and qualitative development, in the prone and supine positions. The neurologist examined each child aged 9 month, referring to the Denver Development Screening Test II and assessing reflexes, muscle tone and symmetry. The following risk factors were analyzed after the neurological consultation: condition at birth (5(th) min Apgar score), week of gestation at birth, intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, and the incidence of intrauterine hypotrophy and hyperbilirubinemia determined based on medical records. RESULTS: A combination of several risk factors affected motor development stronger than any one of them solely, with Apgar score, hyperbilirubinemia, and intraventricular hemorrhage exhibiting the most significant impact. CONCLUSIONS: Premature birth on its own did not cause a substantial delay in motor development. Nonetheless, its co-occurrence with other risk factors, namely intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, and hyperbilirubinemia, notably worsened motor development prognosis. Moreover, improper position of the vertebral column, scapulae, shoulders, and pelvis in the third month of life may predict disturbances in further motor development.