TREADMILL STEPPING IN INFANTS BORN PREMATURELY

Premature infants stepped on a treadmill as early as 1-month corrected age and they performed more coordinated alternate steps than their fu ll-term peers. Twelve low-risk premature infants were observed at 1-, 6- and 9-months corrected-age. The infants were supported on a treadmi ll for five 20-s trials at three speeds. The following data were analy sed from the video records: (1) Leg postures in treadmill-moving and n on-moving trials, (2) various parameters of limb position and movement during each step cycle, and (3) multiple anthropometric measures. Pre mature infants at all ages performed coordinated alternating steps whi ch responded to changes in speed. The premature infants had more exten ded leg postures during non-stepping analysis than they did once the s wing was initiated. Low-risk premature birth did not interfere with th e neuromotor pathway. Experience out-of-utero may have facilitated ste pping.