Effects of scalp acupuncture on brain injury in premature infants with different months of age / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical efficacy differences of scalp acupuncture on brain injury in premature infants with different months of age.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to the corrected months of age, 90 cases of premature infants with brain injury were divided into a group A (3 through 6 corrected months of age), a group B (7 through 9 corrected months of age) and group C (10 through 12 corrected months of age), 30 patients in each one. Based on the conventional early intervention, the infants in the group A were treated with scalp acupuncture at , motor area; the infants in the group B were treated with scalp acupuncture at , motor area and foot motor sensory area; the infants in the group C were treated with scalp acupuncture at , motor area, foot motor sensory area and balance area. All the treatment was given once every other day, and totally 30 treatments were given. The Alberta infant motor scale (AIMS), development quotient (DQ) of each function indexes in Gesell developmental scale (GDS) were observed before and after treatment; the clinical efficacy of each group was compared and the correlation between clinical efficacy and months of age was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared before treatment, the total score of AIMS and DQ of each function indexes of GDS were all improved in the three groups after treatment (all <0.01). After treatment, the differences of total score of AIMS and DQ of each function indexes of GDS among the three groups were significant (<0.05, <0.01), and the results in the group A were higher than those in the group B and the group C (<0.05, <0.01). The total effective rate was 96.3% (26/27) in the group A, which was higher than 89.7% (26/29) in the group B and 83.3% (25/30) in the group C. The correlation analysis indicated less months of age was significantly corelated with better efficacy (<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Scalp acupuncture has superior improvement on the recovery of brain damage in premature infants, especially for those with 6 months of age or less.</p>

Differences in walking attainment ages between low-risk preterm and healthy full-term infants / Diferenças na idade de aquisição da marcha entre lactentes pré-termo de baixo risco e a termo saudáveis

OBJECTIVE: To compare gross motor development of preterm infants (PT) without cerebral palsy with healthy full-term (FT) infants, according to Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS); to compare the age of walking between PT and FT; and whether the age of walking in PT is affected by neonatal variables. METHODS: Prospective study compared monthly 101 PT and 52 FT, from the first visit, until all AIMS items had been observed. Results: Mean scores were similarity in their progression, except from the eighth to tenth months. FT infants were faster in walking attainment than PT. Birth weight and length and duration of neonatal nursery stay were related to walking delay. CONCLUSION: Gross motor development between PT and FT were similar, except from the eighth to tenth months of age. PT walked later than FT infants and predictive variables were birth weight and length, and duration of neonatal intensive unit stay.

OBJETIVO: Comparar o desenvolvimento motor de lactentes pré-termo sem paralisia cerebral (PT) com lactentes normais nascidos a termo (T), de acordo com Escala Motora Infantil de Alberta (AIMS); comparar idade da marcha entre PT e T e se a idade da marcha em PT é passível de ser afetada. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo com 101 PT e 52 T, seguidos mensalmente até que todos os itens da AIMS tivessem sido observados. Resultados: Os escores médios apresentaram semelhanças entre os grupos, com exceção do oitavo ao décimo meses. Os lactentes T iniciaram marcha antes dos PT. Peso, estatura ao nascimento e tempo de internação na unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal (UTIN) foram preditivos. CONCLUSÃO: O desenvolvimento motor entre PT e T foi semelhante, exceto entre o oitavo e o décimo meses de idade. PT andaram mais tardiamente e variáveis preditivas foram peso, estatura ao nascimento e o tempo de permanência na UTIN.

Validade concorrente e confiabilidade da Alberta Infant Motor Scale em lactentes nascidos prematuros / Concurrent validity and reliability of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale in premature infants

OBJETIVO: Verificar a validade concorrente e a confiabilidade interobservador da Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) em lactentes prematuros acompanhados no ambulatório de seguimento do Instituto Fernandes Figueira, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (IFF/Fiocruz). MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 88 lactentes nascidos prematuros no ambulatório de seguimento do IFF/Fiocruz entre fevereiro e dezembro de 2006. No estudo de validade concorrente, 46 lactentes com 6 (n = 26) ou 12 (n = 20) meses de idade corrigida foram avaliados pela AIMS e pela escala motora da Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2ª edição, por dois observadores diferentes, utilizando-se o coeficiente de correlação de Pearson para análise dos resultados. No estudo de confiabilidade, 42 lactentes entre 0 e 18 meses foram avaliados pela AIMS por dois observadores diferentes, utilizando-se o intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) para análise dos resultados. RESULTADOS: No estudo de validade concorrente, a correlação encontrada entre as duas escalas foi alta (r = 0,95) e estatisticamente significativa (p < 0,01) na população total de lactentes, alcançando valores mais altos aos 12 meses (r = 0,89) do que aos 6 meses (r = 0,74). A confiabilidade interobservador apresentou valores satisfatórios de ICC em todas as idades avaliadas, variando de 0,76 a 0,99. CONCLUSÃO: A AIMS é uma escala válida e confiável para ser utilizada na avaliação do desenvolvimento motor de lactentes de risco na população da rede pública de saúde brasileira.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the concurrent validity and interobserver reliability of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) in premature infants followed-up at the outpatient clinic of Instituto Fernandes Figueira, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (IFF/Fiocruz), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS: A total of 88 premature infants were enrolled at the follow-up clinic at IFF/Fiocruz, between February and December of 2006. For the concurrent validity study, 46 infants were assessed at either 6 (n = 26) or 12 (n = 20) months' corrected age using the AIMS and the second edition of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, by two different observers, and applying Pearson's correlation coefficient to analyze the results. For the reliability study, 42 infants between 0 and 18 months were assessed using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale, by two different observers and the results analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The concurrent validity study found a high level of correlation between the two scales (r = 0.95) and one that was statistically significant (p < 0.01) for the entire population of infants, with higher values at 12 months (r = 0.89) than at 6 months (r = 0.74). The interobserver reliability study found satisfactory intraclass correlation coefficients at all ages tested, varying from 0.76 to 0.99. CONCLUSIONS: The AIMS is a valid and reliable instrument for the evaluation of motor development in high-risk infants within the Brazilian public health system.