Accuracy of Two Motor Assessments during the First Year of Life in Preterm Infants for Predicting Motor Outcome at Preschool Age.

Aim: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and Neuro-Sensory Motor Developmental Assessment (NSMDA) over the first year of life for predicting motor impairment at 4 years in preterm children. The secondary aims were to assess the predictive value of serial assessments over the first year and when using a combination of these two assessment tools in follow-up.

Method: Children born <30 weeks' gestation were prospectively recruited and assessed at 4, 8 and 12 months' corrected age using the AIMS and NSMDA.

Postural control at 4 years in very preterm children compared with term-born peers.

Aim: To compare postural control at 4 years' corrected age in very preterm children (VPT; <30wks gestational age) with term-born (>37wks gestational age) comparison participants.

Method: Ninety VPT children (45 males, 45 females; mean age at assessment 4y 1mo; mean birthweight 1022g; mean gestational age 27.3wks) and 36 term comparison participants (17 males, 19 females; mean age at assessment 4y; mean birthweight 3507g; mean gestational age 39.

Does the Bayley-III Motor Scale at 2 years predict motor outcome at 4 years in very preterm children?

Aim: To assess the predictive validity of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development - Third Edition (Bayley-III) for later motor outcome.

Method: Ninety-six infants (49 males, 47 females) born at less than 30 weeks' gestation admitted to two tertiary hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, were assessed with the Bayley-III Motor Scale at 2 years' corrected age and were classified as suspect or definite motor impairment if they scored less than -1 or -2 standard deviations respectively, relative to the test mean. At 4 years' corrected age, children completed Movement Assessment Battery for Children - Second Edition (MABC-2); for the total motor score, cut-offs of not more than the 15th were used to classify motor development and cut-offs of not more than the 15th centile were classified as having a significant movement difficulty.