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Abstract: Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate gross motor development in Greek infants and establish AIMS percentile curves and to examine possible association of AIMS scores with socioeconomic parameters. Methods: Mean AIMS scores of 1068 healthy Greek full-term infants were compared at monthly age level with the respective mean scores of the Canadian normative sample. In a subgroup of 345 study participants, parents provided, via interview, information about family socioeconomic status. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship of infant motor development with socioeconomic parameters. Results: Mean AIMS scores did not differ significantly between Greek and Canadian infants in any of the 19 monthly levels of age. In multiple linear regression analysis, the educational level of the mother and also whether the infant was being raised by grandparents/babysitter were significantly associated with gross motor development (p =0.02 and p <0.001, respectively), whereas there was no significant correlation of mean AIMS scores with gender, birth order, maternal age, paternal educational level and family monthly income. Conclusions: Gross motor development of healthy Greek full-term infants, assessed by AIMS during the first 19months of age, follows a similar course to that of the original Canadian sample. Specific socioeconomic factors are associated with the infants' motor development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is a norm-referenced test that assesses the spontaneous motor performance of infants from birth through independent walking (0–18months). This scale has been utilized for clinical and research purposes in various countries, however, whether the initial standardization in Canadian infants is also representative of other countries'' populations has been questioned. Aim: To assess whether the AIMS needs new reference values for Greek infants. Methods: A cohort of 424 healthy full-term infants (250 boys and 174 girls), aged between 7days and 18months, derived from various areas of the Prefecture of Attica and from all socio-economic classes to ensure a true representation, was studied. The AIMS-scores of Greek infants were compared with the norm-referenced values of the original Canadian population reported by Piper and Darrah. Results: The mean AIMS-scores did not differ significantly between Greek and Canadian infants at any age level from birth to 18months, except for the 2–<3month of age when higher scores were observed in Greek infants (p =0.02). There was no significant difference in AIMS-values corresponding to the 5th and 90th percentile between Greek and Canadian infants. Inter-rater reliability was excellent in our study population [ICC: 0.99 (95% CI: 0.99–0.99)]. Conclusion: In healthy full-term Greek infants, gross motor maturity assessed by the AIMS during the first 18months of age, seems to follow a similar course to that of Canadian infants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The Motor Functional Development Scale for Young Children (DF-mot) is a developmental tool assessing both gross and fine motor skills in term infants.Aims: To examine the concurrent validity of the DF-mot with the Alberta Infants Motor Scale (AIMS) in preterm infants and compare their ability in predicting scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant-Toddler Development (Bayley-III) at 12 months.Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.Subjects and Outcome Measures: Hundred and eleven infants born at less than 32 weeks' gestation or with a birthweight less than 1500 g were assessed simultaneously on the DF-mot and the AIMS at age 3-5 months. Correlation analysis was used to determine the strength of association between the DF-mot and the AIMS. Among these, 62 were reassessed on the Bayley-III at age 9-12 months. Clinimetric properties were calculated to evaluate their ability to predict motor delay on the Bayley-III.Results: The concurrent validity study found a good level of correlation between the two scales (r = 0.79). The predictive validity study showed good sensitivity and negative predictive value for the AIMS 25th centile and the DF-mot -1 standard deviation to predict motor delay at 12 months (respectively Se = 100% and 84%; NPV = 100% and 77.8%).Conclusions: The DF-mot is a valid instrument with good predictive validity in preterm infants, suggesting it can be used as a clinical useful tool to assess motor development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure of alcohol and/or other addictive drugs in pregnancy is a documented risk factor for later neurological impairment.Aims: The aim of the study was to determine whether infants suffering from prenatal exposure to addictive drugs and alcohol develop an abnormal motor behaviour at three to four months of age.Study Design: Controlled cohort study of infants exposed to alcohol and/or other addictive drugs in pregnancy who were recruited from a hospital follow-up programme. The control group consisted of healthy, unexposed infants.Subjects: The study group of 108 infants exposed to alcohol and/or addictive drugs in pregnancy were enrolled based on referrals from primary health care. The control group included 106 infants who had not been exposed to the aforementioned substances.Outcome Measures: We assessed the general movements (Prechtl's General-Movement-Assessment, GMA), the motor repertoire (Assessment-of-Motor-Repertoire, AMR), and the Alberta-Infant Motor-Scale (AIMS) in all infants at three to four months of age.Results: None of the infants in either group had absent fidgety movements (FMs). In the study group 5(5%) had exaggerated FMs and 5(5%) had sporadic FMs; and 68(63%) infants in the study group displayed an abnormal movement character, compared to 23(22%) in the control group (p<0.001). On the AIMS, 46(44%) infants in the study group scored below the 10th percentile, compared to 2(3%) controls (p< 0.001).Conclusion: The study describes an abnormal movement character of infants exposed to alcohol and/or addictive drugs in pregnancy when their motor repertoire was assessed at three to four months of age. The AIMS also showed negative effects on their motor behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One objective of a neonatal follow-up program is to examine and predict gross motor outcome of infants born preterm., Aims: To assess the concurrent validity of the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), the ability to predict gross motor outcome around 15 months corrected age (CA), and to explore factors associated with the age of independent walking., Methods: 95 infants, born at a gestational age <30 weeks, were assessed around 3, 6 and 15 months CA. At 3 months CA, correlations of raw-scores, Z-scores, and diagnostic agreement between TIMP and AIMS were determined. AIMS-score at 15 months CA and parental-reported walking age were outcome measures for regression analyses., Results: The correlation between TIMP and AIMS raw-scores was 0.82, and between Z-scores 0.71. A cut-off Z-score of -1.0 on the TIMP had 92% diagnostic agreement (κ = 0.67) with an AIMS-score < P10. Neither TIMP- nor AIMS-scores at 3 months CA were associated with the gross motor outcome at 15 months CA. The AIMS-scores at 6 months CA predicted the AIMS-scores at 15 months CA with an explained variance of 19%. Median walking age was 15.7 months CA, with which only the hazard ratio of the AIMS at 6 months CA and ethnicity were significantly associated., Conclusions: Prediction of gross motor development at 15 months CA and independent walking was not possible prior to 6 months CA using the AIMS, with restricted predictive value. Cultural and infant factors seem to influence the onset of independent walking., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)