Motor Difficulties at 12 Years of Age Were Common in Children Born Very Preterm and Were Associated With ROP and Motor Performance in Infancy

AIM: To examine motor competence at 12 years, and its association to motor performance in infancy, in children born very preterm without cerebral palsy. METHODS: We prospectively assessed a regional cohort of 111 very preterm children, who were born in Sweden from 2004 to 2007 at 22-32 weeks of gestation. The Structured Observation of Motor Performance in Infancy was used to carry out motor assessments at four corrected ages to 12 months. At 12 years, 70 children without cerebral palsy were examined with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2). RESULTS: The mean total MABC-2 score corresponded to the 16th percentile of the normative sample, and 16 children had results that indicated significant motor difficulties. Delayed motor development at 2 months and quality deficits at 10 months were related to motor difficulties at 12 years, after adjusting for gestational age and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Motor difficulties at 12 years were independently associated with ROP. CONCLUSION: Motor difficulties were prevalent in very preterm children, without cerebral palsy, at 12 years of age and were associated with poorer motor performance and ROP in infancy. The results highlight the importance of identifying motor difficulties early and continuing to monitor motor competence.