ABSTRACT
AIM: To systematically review evidence of the effectiveness of sticky mittens training to improve reaching skills and manual exploration of full-term and at-risk infants and optimal training dosage. METHODS: The Cochrane Collaboration and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guided this systematic review. The electronic search was performed from September 2017 to August 2021 on PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Cochrane databases. Eligibility criteria followed PICO terms: clinical trials investigating the effects of sticky mittens training on reaching skills and manual exploration of full-term and at-risk infants. PEDro scale and GRADE assessed methodological quality and quality of evidence, respectively. RESULTS: Eight studies (313 children) were included. Five studies found statistically significant differences between experimental and control groups (62.6%). One study presented high methodological quality. Evidence synthesis showed very low and low evidence of the beneficial effects of sticky mittens training in full-term and at-risk infants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that sticky mittens training facilitates reaching skills and manual exploration. However, results should interpretation with caution because studies targeted full-term infants. Future research should focus on infants at risk or with motor impairments since sticky mittens training seems to show positive effects and is easy to apply.
Subject(s)
Motor Skills , Physical Therapy Modalities , Humans , Infant , Physical Therapy Modalities/instrumentationABSTRACT
The aims of the study were to 1) verify the level of trunk control longitudinally and reaching behavior while sitting in two positions in late preterm (LPT) and full-term (FT) infants, 2) determine whether the level of trunk control relates to reaching outcomes. Twenty LPT infants and 36 infants born FT were assessed via three in-lab visits: at 6, 7, and 8 months. At each visit, the Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control (SATCo) and reaching assessment were performed, where the infants were positioned sitting in the ring and at 90° of flexion of hips, knees, and ankles. Accurate manual support to the trunk was provided in each visit. LPT infants presented a lower level of trunk control over time. LPT infants presented a higher percentage of unimanual reaches and successful grasping at 7 months' visit, and a higher number of reaches at 8 months' visit compared to FT infants. The sitting positions did not influence reaching performance. The level of trunk control relates to functional reaching strategies only in FT infants. This study might provide insights for clinicians for understanding the level of trunk control, the importance of reaching behaviors for exploration, and considering these behaviors as strategies for intervention.
Subject(s)
Premature Birth , Child Development , Female , Hand Strength , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Premature , Pregnancy , TorsoABSTRACT
The authors' aim was to verify the correlation between segmental trunk control and gross motor performance in healthy preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) infants aged 6 and 7 months and to verify if there are differences between groups. All infants were assessed at 6 and 7 months by means of Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control (SATCo) to identify the exact level of segmental trunk control and Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) to measure gross motor performance. A significant correlation between segmental trunk control and gross motor performance was found in healthy PT infants at 7 months and FT infants at 6 months. PT infants showed a delay on segmental trunk control at 6 and 7 months and in supported standing posture at 6 months compared with FT infants. Segmental trunk control and gross motor performance showed an important relationship in healthy PT and FT infants, mainly in sitting posture.
