Avaliação do neurodesenvolvimento e psicomotricidade nos nascidos pré-termo em comparação aos recém-nascidos a termo, uma revisão de literatura

Assessment of neurodevelopment and psychomotor skills in preterm infants compared to term newborns: a literature review

Abstract

Prematurity, defined as birth before 37 weeks of gestational age, is an important risk factor for delays in neuropsychomotor development. This study aimed to analyze the available evidence regarding the relationship between prematurity and possible deficits in child neurodevelopment and psychomotor skills. This is a narrative literature review, qualitative and descriptive in nature, conducted in the SciELO and Virtual Health Library (BVS) databases, using descriptors in Portuguese and English combined with Boolean operators. Articles published between 2017 and 2023 were included, resulting in the selection of five studies that met the eligibility criteria. The findings indicated a consistent association between prematurity and a higher risk of motor, cognitive, and language impairments, especially in newborns with very low birth weight, ischemic hypoxia, or prolonged hospitalization. It was also observed that early access to adequate stimuli and multiprofessional follow-up contribute to minimizing deficits and promoting neuroplasticity. In conclusion, the systematic assessment of neurodevelopment and psychomotor skills in preterm children should be prioritized by healthcare professionals in order to enable early interventions and reduce the adverse consequences of prematurity.