How can I tell if my premature baby has motor delays or abnormalities?
Abnormal motor development can have long-term and far-reaching adverse effects on premature babies. Motor development is an important marker of infant nervous system development, studies have shown that premature babies with abnormal motor development in infancy and young children are more likely to have problems such as low intelligence score (IQ score), hyperactivity and attention disorder1; at the same time, infancy motor development delay may also be an early manifestation of cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other diseases2.
What are the manifestations of my baby when there may be abnormalities in motor development?
The baby's motor development can be simply judged according to daily behavior and state, if the following conditions occur, indicating that the premature baby may have problems with motor delay or abnormality, the baby should be taken to the hospital for medical examination in time:
Correction of 1 month of age
Crying frequently and not easily soothing, or being too quiet;
Often choking coughing during feeding, weak sucking, often stopping or shortness of breath after sucking;
The body is often stiff, leaned back, or weak, with excessive or too little limb movement, and asymmetrical limb movement on both sides.
Correction of 3 months of age
Will not look at faces, will not follow the active objects and people;
Can not look up when lying prone;
Fingers clenched will not open;
The head is often leaned back, or the body is weak and weak, the upper or lower limbs are often straight or stiff, the limbs are overactive or too little, and the movement of the limbs on both sides is asymmetrical.
Correction of 6 months of age
4 months can not stand up, 5 months will not turn over, 6 months will not sit up;
Fingers do not open, clenched fists;
Won't reach out and grab things.
Correct 7 to 9 months of age
8 months old can not sit alone;
When standing, the heel cannot land for a long time;
Items are not swapped from one hand to the other.
Corrected for 10 to 12 months of age
Can't climb;
Will not stand on the object;
Standing with tiptoes touching the ground or lower limbs in the shape of scissors;
Does not pinch small objects with the thumb and forefinger;
I don't imitate the action of clapping my hands and saying goodbye.
What factors may contribute to abnormal motor development in a premature baby?
Abnormal motor development in premature babies is usually caused by a combination of factors between mother and baby, and common high-risk factors include 3:
1
Mother-related risk factors
Premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa bleeding, hypertension during pregnancy, poor control of diabetes mellitus during pregnancy, advanced maternal age, caesarean section, etc.
02
Preterm baby's own risk factors
Birth weight < 2500 g, male, multiple births, intrauterine distress of the fetus, neonatal asphyxia, metabolic acidosis, apnea, hypoxemia, hypercapnia, mechanical ventilation, lung infection, glucose metabolism disorders, respiratory distress, shock, anemia, intracranial hemorrhage, birth injuries, etc.
And the smaller the baby's gestational age and lower birth weight, the higher the risk of motor dysplasia.
How can I prevent abnormal motor development in premature babies?
Premature babies have high development potential, even if they have multiple risk factors, they can help the baby catch up with development and reduce the risk of abnormalities through early detection and early intervention.
For babies with relatively small gestational age or other high-risk factors, the quality of whole-body exercise (GMs) can be assessed at follow-up, which is currently used to predict motor development abnormalities such as cerebral palsy and neurodevelopmental disorders in preterm infants, and is an accurate and safe diagnostic tool that requires a specialist to perform relevant measurements for the baby4.
The method of full-body exercise quality assessment is very simple, just let the baby lie flat on the incubator or cot alone, use the camera to shoot the baby's whole body movement for a period of time, and evaluate by at least 2 professionals to determine whether the baby has behaviors and movements that are consistent with the corresponding developmental stage.
Parents pay more attention to the state and activity habits of premature babies every day, regular follow-up, follow-up, follow-up, and appropriately help babies to carry out sports training suitable for the developmental stage under the guidance of medical staff, which can help premature babies exert their motor potential, quickly catch up with growth, reduce the risk of abnormal motor development, and escort the healthy growth of babies.
bibliography
1. Li Bei, et al. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2013; 21(5): 470-472.
2. Xu Zhibing, et al. Contemporary Chinese Medicine. 2011; 18(19): 136-137.
3. Gan Bin, et al. Chinese Journal of Reproductive Health. 2018; 29(2): 169-170.
4. Zhang Wei, et al. Medicine for Premature Babies. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House.] 2008. 267-271.