Analysis of the motor development of at-risk infants who received face-to-face and remote assistance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/Keywords:
Child Development, Early Intervention, Premature Newborn, Telerehabilitation, COVID-19Abstract
’Early intervention programs have
continuously treated infants and their families during the
lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic via online
platforms. Such remote treatment aimed to minimize the
deleterious effects social isolation could bring to subjects
in full development. Yet the results of this process ’were
unknown, including toward a new approach to care. Thus,
this study aimed to assess whether the positive effects
of face-to-face early motor intervention on the motor
development of at-risk infants mirror those in remote
sessions. This comparative ex-post-facto study evaluated
the motor development of at-risk infants by the Alberta
Infant Motor Scale. All subscales showed significant
differences from pre-to-post treatment in both groups,
which were not different from each other. However,
evaluating percentiles showed a statistically significant
difference in the remote group. In the sample, 15 infants
received face-to-face treatment and 15, remote care. This
study aimed to investigate remote early physical therapy interventions due to the efficacy the home environment and the remote physical therapy guided by a professional.
Downloads
References
1. Aquino EML, Silveira IH, Pescarini JM, Aquino R, Souza-
Filho JA, et al. Social distancing measures to control the
COVID-19 pandemic: potential impacts and challenges in
Brazil. Cien Saude Colet. 2020;25(Suppl 1):2423-46. doi:
10.1590/1413-81232020256.1.10502020
2. Valentini NC, Saccani R. Infant Motor Scale of Alberta:
validation for a population of Southern Brazil. Rev Paul Pediatr.
2011;29(2):231-8. doi: 10.1590/S0103-05822011000200015
3. Galea MD. Telemedicine in Rehabilitation. Phys Med Rehabil
Clin N Am. 2019;30(2):473-83. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2018.12.002
4. Hadders-Algra M. Neural substrate and clinical significance
of general movements: an update. Dev Med Child Neurol.
2018;60(1):39-46. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13540
5. Formiga CKMR, Silva LP, Linhares MBM. Identification of risk
factors in infants participating in a Follow-up program. Rev
CEFAC. 2018;20(3):333-41. doi: 10.1590/1982-021620182038817
6. Ministério da Saúde (BR). Atenção à saúde do recémnascido:
guia para profissionais da saúde. Cuidados gerais.
2a ed. atual., vol. 1. Brasília, DF: MS; 2014 [cited 2026 Mar 04].
Available from: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcg
lclefindmkaj/https://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/
atencao_saude_recem_nascido_v1.pd
7. Mendelski AQ, Lucas TQC, Almeida CSD, Gerzson LR.
Physiotherapist on the move: where babies at risk are
referred for follow-up after hospital discharge. Fisioter Mov.
2022;35:e35134. doi: 10.1590/fm.2022.35134
8. Gerzson LR, Catarino BM, Azevedo KAD, Demarco PR, Palma
MS, et al. Weekly frequency of a motor intervention program
for day care babies. Fisioter Pesqui. 2016;23(2):178-84. doi:
10.1590/1809-2950/14923223022016
9. Pinto EB, Vilanova LCP, Vieira RM. O desenvolvimento
do comportamento da criança no primeiro ano de vida:
padronização de uma escala para avaliação e acompanhamento.
São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo; 1997.
10. Piper MC, Pinnell LE, Darrah J, Maguire T, Byrne PJ. Construction
and validation of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). Can
J Public Health. 1992;83(Suppl 2):S46-50.
11. Darrah J, Piper M, Watt MJ. Assessment of gross motor skills
of at-risk infants: predictive validity of the Alberta Infant
Motor Scale. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1998;40(7):485-91. doi:
10.1111/j.1469-8749.1998.tb15399.x
12. Valentini NC, Almeida CS, Smith BA. Effectiveness of a
home-based early cognitive-motor intervention provided
in daycare, home care, and foster care settings: Changes in
motor development and context affordances. Early Hum Dev.
2020;151:105223. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2020.105223
13. Negreiros CTF, Silva SRS, Santos CCT, Arantes AA, Carvalho-
Filha FSS, et al. Child development and their respective motor
phases. REVISA. 2019;8(4):378-81. doi: 10.36239/revisa.v8.n4.
p378a381
14. Diz Israel MAR, Pileggi Y, Krambeck TV, Piveta FCP. Intervenção
precoce no desenvolvimento neuromotor de lactentes
prematuros de risco. RFS. 2023;8(1):1-18. doi: 10.22298/rfs.2020.
v8.n1.5171
15. Conselho Federal de Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional.
Resolução nº 516, de 20 de março de 2020. Brasília, DF: Coffito;
2020 [cited 2023 Mar 13]. Available from: https://www.coffito.
gov.br/nsite/?p=15825
16. Rosa AF, Dionisio J. Comparação da intervenção fisioterapêutica
precoce com a orientação de pais na aquisição do sentar em
lactentes pré-termo. Arq Ciências Saúde. 2022;26(3):604-16.
doi: 10.25110/arqsaude.v26i3.2022.8853
17. Tabile PM, Teixeira RM, Toso G, Matras RC, Fuhrmann IM, et al.
Características dos partos pré-termo em hospital de ensino
do interior do Sul do Brasil: análise de 6 anos. Rev AMRIGS.
2016;60(3):168-72.
18. Ferreira Junior AR, Albuquerque RAS, Aragão SR, Rodrigues
MENG. Perfil epidemiológico de mães e recém-nascidos
prematuros. Rev Enf Contemp. 2023;7(1):6-12. doi: 10.17267/2317-
3378rec.v7i1.1159
19. Souza DML, Maia LCS, Zêgo ZDF, Jaeger GP, Maciel WS.
Prevalência de prematuridade e fatores associados no estado
do Rio Grande do Sul. Braz J Health Rev. 2019;2(5):4052-70.
doi: /10.34119/bjhrv2n5-014
20. Oliva-Arnanz A, Romay-Barrero H, Romero-Galisteo RP, Pinero-
Pinto E, Lirio- Romero C, et al. Families’ perceptions of the
motor development and quality of life of their children aged
0-3 years during home confinement due to the COVID-19
pandemic: a descriptive study. Children (Basel). 2021;8(12):
1149. doi: 10.3390/children8121149
21. Bronfenbrenner U. Toward an experimental ecology of
human development. Am Psychol. 1977;32(7):513-31. doi:
10.1037/0003-066X.32.7.513
22. Shuffrey LC, Firestein MR, Kyle MH, Fields A, Alcántara C,
et al. Association of birth during the COVID-19 pandemic
with neurodevelopmental status at 6 months in infants with
and without in utero exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2
infection. JAMA Pediatr. 2022;176(6):e215563. doi: 10.1001/
jamapediatrics.2021.5563
23. Huang P, Zhou F, Guo Y, Yuan S, Lin S, et al. Association
between the COVID-19 pandemic and infant neurodevelopment:
a comparison before and during COVID-19. Front Pediatr.
2021;9:662165. doi: 10.3389/fped.2021.662165
24. Straathof EJM, Heineman KR, La Bastide-van Gemert S, Hamer
EG, Hadders-Algra M. Infant motor behaviour and functional
and cognitive outcome at school-age: A follow-up study in
very high-risk children. Early Hum Dev. 2022;170:105597. doi:
10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2022.105597
25. Formiga CK, Pedrazzani ES, Silva FPDS, Lima CDD.
Eficácia de um programa de intervenção precoce com
bebês pré-termo. Paidéia. 2004;14(29):301-11. doi: 10.1590/
S0103-863X2004000300006
26. Hadders-Algra M. Early diagnostics and early intervention in
neurodevelopmental disorders-age-dependent challenges
and opportunities. J Clin Med. 2021;10(4):861. doi: 10.3390/
jcm10040861
27. Maitre NL, Benninger KL, Neel ML, Haase JA, Pietruszewski L,
et al. Standardized neurodevelopmental surveillance of highrisk
infants using telehealth: implementation study during
COVID-19. Pediatr Qual Saf. 2021;6(4):e439. doi: 10.1097/
pq9.0000000000000439
28. Alonazi A. Effectiveness and acceptability of telerehabilitation
in physical therapy during COVID-19 in children: findings of a
systematic review. Children (Basel). 2021;8(12):1101. doi: 10.3390/
children8121101
29. Sarti D, Salvatore M, Pagliano E, Granocchio E, Traficante D, et
al. Telerehabilitation and wellbeing experience in children with
special needs during the covid-19 pandemic. Children (Basel).
2021;8(11):988. doi: 10.3390/children8110988
30. Seron P, Oliveros MJ, Gutierrez-Arias R, Fuentes-Aspe R, Torres-
Castro RC,et al. Effectiveness of telerehabilitation in physical
therapy: a rapid overview. Phys Ther. 2021;101(6):pzab053.
doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzab053
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Evelyn Vieira Schoingele, Laís Rodrigues Gerzson, Carla Skilhan de Almeida
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
