The relationship between human figure drawing and visual-motor coordination in 6-year-old preterm children

The objective of this study was to examine the performance of preschool age children born prematurely in perceptual and visomotor tests. As prematurity has an impact on child's development it is important to evaluate the percepto-motor skills in this population. The participants of this study were 30 children, 20 girls and 10 boys, born with gestational age >; 34 weeks, recruited in a developmental follow-up program for preterm infants. The children were assessed with the Motor Accuracy test (AYRES, 1980), the Bender Gestalt (KOPPITZ, 1989) and the versions of the human figure drawing by Wechsler (1996) and by Ayres and Reid (1966). The results showed that the preterm children had age appropriated performance in all tests but the motor accuracy adjusted for time, which indicates that children born pre-term present are slower in tracing. There was a significant correlation between the two versions of the human figure drawing (Pearson r = 0,76) and between birth weight and motor accuracy (Pearson r = 0,36 e 0,41), moreover, none of the other correlations between the test were significant. These results are in contrast with the literature, which indicates that preterm children present lower performance in perceptual and motor tests. The poor correlation among the scores of the different tests and the signs of poor clinical utility lead to doubts regarding the validity of the instruments utilized in the study. It was concluded that there is a need to develop instruments with current norms for the Brazilian children, that will allow for more accuracy in test results.O presente estudo teve como objetivo examinar o desempenho, na idade pré-escolar, de crianças nascidas prematuras em testes perceptuais e visomotores. Como a prematuridade tem impacto no desenvolvimento infantil, é importante avaliar as habilidades percepto-motoras nessa população. Participaram desse estudo 30 crianças, 20 meninas e 10 meninos, com idade gestacional, ao nascimento, >; 34 semanas, recrutados em programa de acompanhamento do desenvolvimento de prematuros. Os instrumentos utilizados para avaliação da amostragem foram os testes de Acuidade Motora (AYRES, 1980), Gestáltico de Bender (KOPPITZ, 1989) e as versões do desenho da Figura humana de Wechsler (1996) e Ayres e Reid (1966). Os resultados mostraram que as crianças pré-termo tiveram desempenho dentro do esperado para a idade, em todos os testes, exceto na acuidade motora ajustada para tempo, o que indica que as crianças nascidas pré-termo apresentaram maior lentidão no traçado. Foi encontrada correlação significativa entre as duas versões do Desenho da Figura Humana (Pearson r = 0,76) e entre o peso ao nascimento e a acuidade do traçado (Pearson r = 0,36 e 0,41), porém nenhuma outra correlação entre os testes utilizados atingiu significância. Tais resultados contrastam com a literatura, que indica pior desempenho perceptual e motor em crianças nascidas prematuramente. A pobre correlação entre os escores dos diferentes testes e os sinais de pouca utilidade clínica levam a questionar a validade da instrumentação utilizada. Conclui-se que é essencial o desenvolvimento de instrumentação própria, com normas atualizadas, para crianças brasileiras, que permita maior acuidade dos resultados

Contribution of the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) for the maternal care of preterm neonates

Introduction: In the care of preterm newborn, practices that favor the participation of mothers in care are recommended. The use of appropriate instruments by professionals can contribute to strengthen maternal participation.Objective: To analyse the contributions of the use of the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) for the maternal care of preterm neonates.Methods: Descriptive qualitative study, using participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 14 mothers of preterm newborns who underwent NBO. Data was submitted to content analysis, assinted by the software MAXQda 12.Results: It was found that the mothers' prior perceptions of the newborn´s capacities or how they react to environmental stimuli do not differ from what was observed and reported by them after NBO. However, it was verified that NBO confirms this perception and broadens the mothers' understanding of the meaning of the newborn's behavior. Participating in the NBO helped the mothers to identify strategies to find the needs of the newborn, qualifying the care already performed by them and opening new possibilities for maternal care.Conclusions: The NBO is an instrument that favors the mother's learning about the behavior of the newborn and contributes to the construction of practices with potential to be used by them within daily care. This allows us to consider it as a tool that favors the mother-baby relationship, contributes to the mother's participation in the care, and supports the mother in the construction of her autonomy for the continuity of the newborn's care after hospital discharge

Psychomotor development of preterm and full term children at school-age

Fatores biológicos, como prematuridade e baixo peso ao nascimento, e fatores ambientais, como nível sócioeconômico, podem influenciar o desenvolvimento infantil. O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar o desenvolvimento psicomotor de três grupos de crianças em idade escolar: (1) pré-termo de famílias de baixa renda, (2) a termo de famílias de baixa renda, e (3) a termo de classe média. Participaram do estudo 120 crianças de 5 a 7 anos de idade, 40 em cada grupo. As crianças foram submetidas a avaliação de equilíbrio estático, tônus postural, habilidades perceptuais e viso-motoras. Foi observada diferença significativa de desempenho entre os grupos na maioria dos testes. Ao analisar o efeito isolado do nível sócioeconômico, observou-se efeito favorável à classe média nos itens de tônus postural e equilíbrio. Os resultados sugerem que o desenvolvimento de crianças prematuras deve ser acompanhado até pelo menos a idade escolar, principalmente daquelas em situação de desvantagem social, sendo importante incentivar a implantação de programas de acompanhamento longitudinal do desenvolvimento dentro do sistema público de saúde.Biological risk factors, such as prematurity, low birth weight and environmental factors, such as social class, can influence children development. The aim of this study was to compare the psychomotor development in three groups of school-age children - (1) preterm from low income families, (2) full term from low income families and (3) full term from middle class. The participants were 120 children, aged 5 to 7 years old, 40 in each group. Children were tested on static balance, postural, perceptual and visual motor skills measures. There was significant difference between groups in the majority of the tests. When analyzing the isolated effect of social class, a favorable effect for middle class in the postural and balance measurements was observed. The results suggest that the development of preterm children, especially in those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, should be followed up to at least school age. Therefore, it is important to incentive the implementation of developmental follow-up programs in the public health system

Validade de conteúdo de questionários de coordenação motora para pais e professores

INTRODUÇÃO: O termo Transtorno do desenvolvimento da coordenação (TDC) tem sido usado para referir às crianças que, na ausência de lesões do sistema neuromotor, apresentam dificuldades para realizar tarefas de vida diária que requerem coordenação motora. Face à escassez de testes de coordenação motora, validados para a criança brasileira, iniciou-se o processo de criação e validação da Avaliação da Coordenação e Destreza Motora - ACOORDEM. O teste é dividido em 3 partes, sendo duas compostas por itens de observação direta do desempenho motor da criança e uma terceira parte que consiste de dois questionários estruturados, que visam avaliar o desempenho funcional da criança em casa e na escola. OBJETIVO: O objetivo geral deste estudo foi examinar a validade de conteúdo dos Questionários de Pais e Professores da ACOORDEM. MÉTODO: um painel de experts, composto por nove profissionais, 11 pais e sete professores, avaliou a qualidade dos itens dos Questionários. O Questionário para Professores é composto por 73 itens e o de Pais por 108. RESULTADOS: Os resultados da avaliação deram suporte à validade de conteúdo dos Questionários de Pais e Professores, uma vez que mais de 87 % dos itens foram considerados de boa qualidade. CONCLUSÃO: Como resultado do painel de experts foi feita revisão e modificações nos questionários, que contribuíram para redução no número de itens e para confirmar a adequação do instrumento às necessidades dos pais e profissionais que lidam com crianças com problemas de coordenação motora.INTRODUCTION: The term Developmental Disorder Coordination (DCD) has been used to refer to children that, in the absence of neuromotor disorders, present problems to perform daily living activities that require motor coordination. Facing the lack of appropriate motor coordination tests, standardized for the Brazilian children, the process of creation and validation of the Assessment of Motor Coordination and Dexterity (ACOORDEM) was initiated. The instrument is divided in three parts, two parts are based on direct observation of the child's motor performance and the last part consists in two structured Questionnaires, that evaluate functional skills at home and school. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was examine the content validity of the Parents' and Teachers' Questionnaires of the ACOORDEM. METHODS: An expert panel, composed by nine teachers, 11 parents and seven therapists, evaluated the quality of the items in the Questionnaires. The Teachers' Questionnaire is composed by 73 items and the Parents' one has 108 items. RESULTS: The results gave support to the content validity of the Parents' and Teachers' Questionnaires, since more than 87% of the items were considered as presenting good quality. CONCLUSION: As a result of the expert panel the questionnaires were revised, which contributed to item reduction and to confirm the adequacy of the items to the needs of parents and professionals that deal with children with motor coordination problems

Problemas de coordenação motora em crianças de 4 a 8 anos: levantamento baseado no relato de professores

The term developmental coordination Disorder (DCD) is still new in Brazil and most of the children with this type of problems are not diagnosed. Motor coordination difficulties usually are observed at school, and although complaints about children with handwriting problems or motor awkwardness are quite common, these difficulties are not identified as a problem that deserves special attention. The objective of this study was to examine the frequency and in which activities do teachers observe motor coordination problems among children ages 4 to 8 years old. A simple questionnaire, with direct questions, was sent to schools of the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. Data from 288 questionnaires, 148 from teachers of public schools and 140 from private schools, were analyzed descriptively. The majority of the teachers, 88% from the public schools and 79% from the private ones, reported that they usually observe one or two students with motor coordination problems in each class they teach, which resulted in an overall estimate of 18,6% children with some sort of motor difficulty. This result exceeds the 6% reported in the international literature; therefore, it is important to invest in epidemiological studies and in the correct identification of DCD among the Brazilian children.O termo transtorno do desenvolvimento da coordenação (TDC) ainda é pouco usado no Brasil e a maioria das crianças com esse tipo de problema não é diagnosticada. As dificuldades de coordenação motora geralmente são evidenciadas na escola e, embora queixas de crianças com problemas de escrita ou lentidão motora sejam comuns, essas dificuldades não são identificadas como uma questão que merece atenção especial. O objetivo deste estudo foi examinar a freqüência e as atividades nas quais professores observam dificuldades de coordenação motora em crianças de 4 a 8 anos de idade. Um questionário simples, com questões fechadas, foi enviado a escolas da região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte. Dados de 288 questionários, sendo 148 de professores da rede Municipal e 140 de escolas particulares, foram analisados descritivamente. A maioria dos professores, 88% nas escolas Municipais e 79% nas particulares, indicaram que geralmente observam problemas de coordenação em um a dois alunos em cada classe, o que resultou na estimativa de 18,6% de crianças com algum tipo de dificuldade motora. Estes dados superam os 6% reportados na literatura internacional, sendo importante investir em estudos epidemiológicos e na identificação correta do TDC em crianças brasileiras

Factors associated with the development of preterm children at four and eight months of corrected gestational age

Introduction: The big advances in perinatal care have resulted in longer survival of newborns with lower birth weight. However, these children are at high risk for developmental alterations. Objective: To analyse the relationship between perinatal variables and the overall development of premature infants at four and eight months of corrected age. Method: Longitudinal prospective cohort study where 91 preterm infants with gestational age at or below 34 weeks were followed. The children were evaluated at four and eight months of age by cognitive scales of motor and language with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development III. Results: Birth weight and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were identified as factors for the permanence in the delayed of overall development. The intervention, after routing, was identified as a factor in the improvement effort. Conclusion: Birth weight below 1,000g and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were the main predictive factors for developmental delay. Systematic intervention was a predictive factor for improvement in development

Drop out in a clinic of preterm development follow-up: rates and causes

Objective: To make a survey of the dropping out rate and investigate its possible causes in preterm infants follow-up program. Method: Descriptive study, using the quantitative and qualitative methodology, developed in a follow-up preterm born children ambulatory. A survey of evasions occurred from January 2009 to December 2015 was done. Parents of children who dropped out were interviewed about the reason for evasion. To compare characteristics of children groups of drop out and follow-up, t-test (continuous variables) and chi-square test (categorical variables) were used, and content analysis was used for the data obtained in the interviews. Results: The overall rate of evasion over the seven years was 43.7%, reaching 60.5% when considering only children who entered in 2009. There were significant differences between drop out and follow-up groups in relation to age and education of the mothers. The interviews enable to identify reasons for evasion related to socioeconomic factors and health service organization. Conclusion: Better service organization, establishing routines and shared goals for the whole team, can contribute to maintaining the adhesion to the follow-up program. Multidisciplinary teams of follow-up programs, such as ACRIAR should recognize the social and family challenges faced by population served, being important to maintain a constant awareness work to raise awareness of the families about the necessity of the follow-up program

PRIMEIRA INFÂNCIA E POBREZA NO BRASIL: uma análise integrada a partir de indicadores em saúde, educação e desenvolvimento social

O presente estudo apresenta um panorama sobre a primeira infância no Brasil, destacando as políticas públicas voltadaspara a sobrevivência, saúde e desenvolvimento infantil, a partir de uma análise integrada dos setores da saúde, educação edesenvolvimento social. Inicialmente expõe dados relacionados à pobreza no Brasil, tendo como foco a criança de 0 a 6 anos. Emseguida apresenta o índice de desenvolvimento infantil, bem como os avanços nos indicadores de sobrevivência e de saúde dacriança brasileira nos últimos anos. Aborda, também, os programas de governo que beneficiam a saúde e a educação infantil. Ao final,enfatiza os aspectos que necessitam de maior atenção para o avanço nos investimentos voltados para o desenvolvimento infantil noBrasil.Palavras-chave: Saúde da criança, educação infantil, pobreza, Brasi

Natural regeneration in Atlantic Forest Fragments: using ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for monitoring a conservation unit

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is considered one of the most threatened tropical forests in the world due to the extensive environmental impact it has endured throughout history. Only 12.4% of its original vegetation is estimated to remain. Even though reduced and highly fragmented, it houses enormous biodiversity, and its preservation is paramount to the maintenance of the country’s fauna, flora, funga and microbiota. One of the most efficient measures adopted by public agencies aimed at protecting biodiversity has been the creation of conservation units. To evaluate the preservation state of protected areas, several environmental studies have been performed; species inventories are one among them. Ants are excellent bioindicators, for they are not only sensitive to environmental changes, but they also have a history of being used in impact assessment (i.e., fragmentation). In this study we assessed the ant communities inhabiting the leaf litter in areas with different regeneration states at the RPPN Botujuru – Serra do Itapety (Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo – Brazil). Mini-Winkler traps were used in the ant survey, and diversity analyses were performed. In total, we recorded 86 species of ants, with a highlight to Camponotus cillae Forel, 1912, a species that remained unrecorded for the state of São Paulo for over 100 years, and a possible new species of Octostruma Forel, 1912. Overall, the species found show that the areas are in the process of natural regeneration. Our data on RPPN Botujuru is unprecedented, and our species list has the potential of being used as an effective monitoring tool for this conservation unit