ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of motor behaviour in premature infants during the first months of postnatal life, according to the available evidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature review was carried out; this method forms part of secondary studies under investigation and describes a phenomenon in detail based on primary sources of information. RESULTS: The literature search in the databases consulted yielded 7,228 articles; of these, 15 more were identified through "snowball" search strategies. At the start of the screening process, 63 eligible records were chosen based on their title and summary, and 14 were excluded because they were duplicates. A total of 49 articles were selected for a full text revision and, of these, 37 were excluded because they did not meet all the inclusion criteria. Finally, 12 articles were selected to prepare the qualitative synthesis of the present research work. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison with neonates born at term, premature infants demonstrate a particular motor repertoire, due to the immaturity of their systems; their motor behaviour follows a line of development mainly characterised by deficits in muscle tone, postural control, muscle balance, and antigravity muscle activation.
