Sensory Processing In Premature Infants With The Test Of Sensory Function In Infants (TSFI) † 978

The Test Of Sensory Function In Infants (TSFI) is a test which measures overall sensory processing and reactivity. It identifies children ages 4-18 months who are at risk for future developmental delay and learning deficits. We hypothesize that: 1) the normal very low birth weight, < 1500 grams, will perform developmentally different than the normal fullterm infant and 2) the abnormal preterm infant will demonstrate deficits, in one or more subtest areas on the TSFI, as well as perform at lower levels than normal preterm infants. Methods: All infants < 1500 grams or < 32 weeks were enrolled in this study. Results: Normal preterm infants compared to abnormal preterm infants exhibit statistically significant differences in TSFI response in the area of vestibular stimulation/movement. Normal preterm infants exhibit statistically significant differences in adaptive motor function and visual tactile integration when compared to normal full term infants. Conclusion: These results suggest a developmental difference in TSFI assessment in the normal preterm compared to the normal fullterm infant. In addition, preterm infants demonstrate specific subset abnormalities in the TSFI. Further clinical studies are warranted to standardize TSFI testing for the preterm infant. Table

Table 1 No caption available.

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