Snehal Waghavkar
Background: For children with increased risk of neurodevelopmental deficiencies, such as preterm and low birth weight infants, it is desirable to make early predictions with regard to outcome. This is important for the family, for the researchers designing appropriate follow-up and intervention programmes.
Aims: To evaluate the functional motor abilities in preterm children using GMFM 66.
Settings and Design: Observational Study Design, conducted at physiotherapy OPD, Pad Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil Hospital, Ahmednagar.
Methods and Material: An observational study was carried out for 1 year in hundred children who were born at 24 to 31 weeks gestation with age group from 1 to 6 years with mean age of 3 years. The sample selection was based on convenient sampling method. The children were evaluated according to their gestational age. This study was carried out in Dept. Of Physiotherapy, Vikhe Patil Memorial Hospital, Ahmednagar. The Children of 1- 6 years of either sex were included in the study whereas the patients who had No parental consent, Uncooperative Children and children admitted for unstable medical conditions were excluded from the study. The study was approved by institutional ethical committee of PDVVPF’s COPT Ahmednagar. The guardians signed an informed consent form allowing the children’s participation. The GMFM 66 had administered on hundred preterm children and collected data were compared with standard values of GMFM 66. The GMFM was developed in the 1980s, the GMFM is a standardized observational instrument designed and validated to measure change in gross motor function over time in children with cerebral palsy. It is widely used for both clinical and research purposes. The GMFM test activities in five dimensions, lying and rolling, sitting, crawling and kneeling, standing and walking, running and jumping. It has good reliability and validity in assessing gross motor functions of children less than three years old. (ICC=O.99).
Statistical analysis used: Unpaired ‘t’ test was used for between group comparison.
Results: The result of present study indicated functional variability of premature children i.e. significant variability in functionality within the different dimension of GMFM lying and rolling, sitting, crawling and kneeling, standing and walking, running and jumping.
Conclusions: The present study concluded that there is functional variability of premature children i.e. significant variability in functionality within the different dimension of GMFM lying and rolling, sitting, crawling and kneeling, standing and walking, running and jumping.
