Analysis of "fidgety" movements in infants with peripheral or centrally influenced by different diseases

This study aimed to analyse movement qualities, posture and movement characteristics of infants with CP, neuromusculer deficiency, brachial plexus lesion, Down syndrome and other genetic diseases in the fidgety period and to determine the differences from normally developed babies.The study included 95 infants with 20 normally developed, 20 cerebral palsy (CP), 17 brachial plexus lesions, 11 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, 17 Down syndrome and 10 other genetic diseases. Video images of each infants were recorded for 3 to 5 minutes in the fidgety period. After the definite diagnoses, the prospectively recorded video images were than retrospectively analysed with Prechtl analysis and Motor Optimality Scores (MOS) were calculated. The gross upper and lower extremity tones were evaluate to be passive in video recording days. According to the analysis of fidgety movements and MOS scores, babies had similar features between normal and with brachial plexus lesions, or with Down syndrome and with other genetic diseases, or with SMA type 1 and with CP (p=0.18, p=0.24 and p=0.39; respectively). When comparing the total scores of all babies according to tone, there were statistically differences between normal /decreased tone and normal/increased tone groups (p=0.002) but there were no statistically difference between increased and decreased tone groups (p=0.612). Our results show the effects of genetic diseases and neuromotor problems in the integrity of young nervous system and gives valuable informations about the motor indications of these effects. Use of GMs for evaluations in infant groups at risk plays an important role to start early rehabilitation programme for these infants.