AIMS:

Preterm infants at increased risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities, including cerebral palsy, demonstrate reduced selective leg joint coordination. Full-term infants demonstrate more selective hip-knee coordination when specific leg actions are reinforced using an overhead infant mobile. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the ability of preterm infants to: (1) perform and learn through discovery, the contingency between leg action and mobile activation, and (2) demonstrate more selective hip-knee coordination when leg actions are reinforced with mobile activation.

METHODS:

At both 3 and 4-months corrected age, ten infants born very preterm and with very low birth weight participated in 2 sessions of mobile reinforcement on consecutive days.

RESULTS:

The preterm group at 4-months, but not 3-months, learned the contingency between leg action and mobile activation. Preterm infants at 4-months were separated into those that learned (n = 6) and did not learn (n = 4) the contingency. As a group, preterm infants at 4-months who learned the contingency, did not demonstrate more selective hip-knee coordination when interacting with the mobile on Day 2 as compared to spontaneous kicking on Day 1.

CONCLUSIONS:

Preterm infants, as compared to full-term infants, may have difficulty producing more selective hip-knee coordination during task-specific leg action.