Preterm and writhing movements: is it possible to predict fidgety movements in preterm infants?

Background: Preterm infants who do not have fidgety movements at 3 months of corrected age have up to ten times greater risk of developing cerebral palsy or other alterations in motor development, compared to infants who exhibit such movements. The General Movements Assessment (GMA) is a validated tool that may predict the fidgety movement period.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the trajectory of the General Movements Assessment (GMA) during the preterm and writhing movements periods in preterm infants and determine the best time point to predict the fidgety movements period.