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conferenceseries
.com
Volume 8, Issue 6
J Neurol Neurosci
ISSN: 2171-6625 Neuro, an open access journal
Neuroscience 2017
October 16-17, 2017
OCTOBER 16-17, 2017 OSAKA, JAPAN
17
TH
Global Neuroscience Conference
Longitudinal assessments of gross motor development during 6-12 months in orphaned infants: A pilot study
Sunanta Prommin, Surussawadi Bennett, Lugkana Mato and Wantana Siritaratiwat
Khon Kaen University, Thailand
S
everal researches demonstrate that infants in orphanage had delayed gross motor development [1-5]. However, these
evidences reported delayed gross motor development of orphans when being adopted or while living in orphanages using a
cross-sectional assessment. Previous longitudinal study of Darrah and colleagues found that motor development of typically-
developing infants are not stable in the rate of emergence of gross motor development. The greatest variability was observed
from infants aged 6 to12 months and instability within individual infants over time during the first 12 months [6]. Longitudinal
study seems to be a helpful design to provide useful data about gross motor development variations of individual within a group
on some behaviors over time. The purpose of this study therefore was to investigate gross motor developmental milestones via
a longitudinal design while infants are living in the orphanages.
Methodology:
Six participants aged 6 months were recruited from an orphanage in Northeastern part of Thailand. The gross
motor development of each infant was assessed monthly at the age of 6.5 months until 11.5 months using the Alberta Infant
Motor Scale (AIMS). Demographic data were reported using descriptive statistics. The AIMS scores were summarized and
plotted on the norm reference graph from the study of Canadian infants [7]. The number of times and percentile of infants with
scores occurring below designated cut-offs were reported.
Findings:
The sample of 6 infants include 5 boys and 1 girl. Table 1 shows characteristics of participants. Figure 1 shows
the variation of individual orphans’ percentile ranks from 6.5 months to 11.5 months, with no systematic pattern of change
noted across infants. However, there were observable less instability compared with typically-developing child in Darrah et
al’s study. Three orphans showed variation of less than 50 percentiles across six assessments. One infant showed two times of
scores which was lower than cut-offs percentile (the 5
th
percentile). The results could be that these participants had biological
risk factors such as low birth weight and biological underlying. The lesser instability of gross motor in these orphans could be
caused by limited environment in orphanage.
Conclusion:
Infants who are living in the orphanages tend to have less instability of gross motor percentile. Recommendation:
Results of this study implies that orphaned infants need a longitudinal screening for gross motor development especially those
who were born with biological risk factors to confirm their gross motor development delay.
Biography
Sunanta Prommin is studying her Master degree at the School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. She
graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Physical therapy programs. Her further project is interested in the effect of an organized play and environmental modification
program in orphans.
sunanta.prommin@gmail.comSunanta Prommin et al., J Neurol Neurosci 2017, 8:6
DOI: 10.21767/2171-6625-C1-006