Posture and motility in preterm infants

Abstract

As a result of intensive treatment techniques and care, the outcome for infants born prematurely has greatly improved over recent years, resulting in an increased survival rate among preterm infants, particularly at younger gestational ages. Such infants have a greater risk of neuropathology. This may explain why the incidence of major disabilities such as cerebral palsy (CP) has remained virtually unchanged over the past two decades and why, apart from major disabilities, the number of preterm infants who experience developmental problems later in life has increased. It is still unclear how the infant's prematurity contributes to such adverse conditions.