Relationship Between Sensory Processing and Motor Development

The Investigation of Relationship Between Sensory Processing and Motor Development in Preterm Infants

The aim of this study is to analyse correlation between the sensory processing and motor development in preterm infants.

The aim of this study is to analyse correlation between the sensory processing and motor development in preterm infants. A total of 60 infants who were born preterm (n=30) and term (n=30), the corrected and chronological ages between 10-12 months, were included in this study. Test of Sensory Function in Infants was used to evaluate sensory processing, and Alberta Infant Motor Scale was used to evaluate motor development.Spearman correlation test indicated strong positive relation between sensory processing and motor development in preterm infants. Given the relationship between sensory processing and motor development in preterm group, for effective implementation of physiotherapy assessments and interventions, it was thought that it is necessary to evaluate the sensory processing as well as the motor development in preterm infants.

Inclusion Criteria:

• gestational age lower than 37 month
• corrected age within 10-12 months
• without congenital anomaly or systemic disease
• stay in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at least 2 weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

• taken physiotherapy or sensory integration therapy in any rehabilitation center
• having newborn retinopathy