Effects of skin-to-skin contact in supported diagonal flexion positioning on movement quality in very preterm infants at term age.

Background: Preterm birth is associated with a high risk of long-term neuromotor disabilities such as coordination of movements, deficient antigravity limb movement, less adaptive postural control strategies, head deformities… AIMS: The aim of the present study was to examine the potential positive impact of a Supported Diagonal Flexion (SDF) skin-to-skin contact (SSC) positioning on the neuromotor development and movement quality of very preterm infants at term age.

Study Design: Monocentric prospective matched-pair case-control study.

Subjects: Thirty very preterm infants and their mother were proposed either SDF SSC positioning (n = 15) or Vertical SSC positioning (n = 15).

Outcome Measures: Amiel-Tison Neurological Assessment at Term (ATNAT) and observation of the spontaneous motor activity were assessed at term corrected age.

Results: Infants in the SDF group had less dolichocephaly (adj. p = .014) and arms in candlestick position (adj. p = .048). Only 3 in the SDF group against 11 in the vertical group showed nonoptimal spontaneous motor activity. Infants in the SDF group had more positive signs such as foot-to-foot contact (adj. p = .047) or arms movements toward midline (adj. p = .046 and 0.011).

Conclusions: The present study shows that nonoptimal spontaneous motor activity was increased and dolichocephaly was more common in the vertical group. Consistently with current guidelines, it is critical to consider preterm infants' postures during SSC or while in incubators or cradles.