Abstract: | Objective To investigate the effect of parent administered physical therapy in the preterm period on motor performance in infants. Methods This study included 153 infants, 97 preterm infants and 56 term infants (term control group). The preterm infants were born at gestational age 32- < 37 weeks and randomized to an intervention (n = 47) or a preterm control (n = 50) group. Parents, supervised by a physical therapist, conducted the intervention for 3 months. The control group received usual care. Results At the age of 1 year, children in the preterm intervention group had significantly higher gross motor and fine motor scores than those in the preterm control group Gross motor, preterm intervention group (91.9±9.4), preterm control group (86.6±9.6); Fine motor, preterm intervention group (87.9±9.3), preterm control group (83.9±10.0); P < 0.05]. Conclusion It is feasible for parents to conduct early physical intervention in the family and effective for the motor development of premature infants at the age of one year. |