Motor skills formation in premature infants

Objective of the study was to substantiate the procedures of selection of physical exercises for premature infants taking into account the level of their motor development. Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study were 30 premature infants. The anthropometric measurements were taken to determine the level of physical development of the subjects: body length, body mass, chest and head circumferences. The infants’ level of motor development was assessed in terms of the static and dynamic characteristics of the gross motor skills. Fine motor skills were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. Their sensory functions were assessed in three directions: the state of the visual sensory system, the state of the auditory sensory system, and the state of the vestibular apparatus. The neurological examination was conducted under the supervision of a neurologist and included an assessment of the subjects’ muscle tone and unconditioned reflex activity. Results and conclusions. The physical exercises for the infants were grouped by the predominant influence on certain parts of the motor system. Within each group, the exercises were divided into corrective (muscle tone and unconditioned reflex activity) and developing (gross and fine motor skills, sensory functions). The exercise series for premature infants were developed based on the baseline indicators of their sensorimotor development. The load balance within each group shifted towards the lagging motor functions. At the same time, it is necessary to exert a corrective influence on the mechanisms of formation of these dysfunctions. Therefore, a block system of trainings enables to individualize the process of physical development of premature infants in the early period of ontogenesis. © 2021, Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kul'tury i sporta. All rights reserved.