Fine Motor Development of Low Birth Weight Infants at the

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare fine motor development between low birth weight (LBW) infants and normal birth weight infants (NBW) at the age of 8-12 months by using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2). Method: This was a non-experimental cross sectional study which was conducted on 18 LBW and 14 normal infants. By looking up infant profiles in ‘Aliasghar Hospital’s NICU, those with the defined inclusion criteria were identified (case group). Normal birth weight infants were randomly selected from the same hospital’s Health Center. They were then matched with the case group for their dates of birth. After completing the questionnaire on demographic variables, their gross motor development was assessed with PDMS-2. Finally, the scores of the motor quotient were analyzed with independent T-test. Results: There was a significant difference between the groups’ fine motor quotients (p= 0.007). Conclusion: This study showed that LBW infants are significantly lower than normal weight infants in acquiring fine motor skills. Meaning, LBW infants are more prone to developmental difficulties.