Assessing Joint Hypermobility, Proprioception, and Developmental Functioning in Toddlers Born Preterm

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to explore (i) the joint hypermobility, proprioception, and developmental functioning in toddlers born preterm, (ii) differences in the proprioception and developmental functioning between toddlers with and without joint hypermobility, and (iii) the relationship between them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred twelve toddlers born preterm between 24 and 42 months of age were included in this observational study. Beighton Score for joint hypermobility assessment and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) for developmental functioning were applied in all toddlers born preterm; however, proprioception assessment could be applied on 55 of 112 (49.11%) toddlers born preterm due to lack of cooperation. RESULTS: Of 112 toddlers, 30 (26.79%) had joint hypermobility. There were no differences in cooperation rate (P = .629) and success rate (P = .887) in the proprioception assessment between toddlers with and without joint hypermobility (55 toddlers born preterm), which is similar to the cognitive domain (P = .430), language domain (P = .062), and motor domain (P = .619) in the Bayley-III. Additionally, none of them were related to each other (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Our study findings showed that joint hypermobility has no effect on proprioception and motor development in toddlers born preterm between 24 and 42 months of age, and there is no relationship between them. The possibility of these results might be that movement repetition and not only proprioception but also other sensory systems could be important in this early period of life.