Abstract:

Purpose: It is known that infants prematurely have sensory processing problems. The aim of this study was to compare the sensory functions of early, late premature and mature infants. Material and Methods: The study included 16 early premature (24-34 weeks), 16 late premature (34-38 weeks) and 16 mature infants (control group; 38-42 weeks) who were followed by the Developmental and Early Physiotherapy Units and did not receive any diagnosis. Socio-demographic information form was applied to parents and Test of Sensory Function Infant (TSFI) was applied to infants to evaluate their sensory functions. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the early premature and late premature groups in response to tactile deep pressure (p=0.008), ocular motor control (p=0.004) and total score (p=0.008). In addition, a statistically significant difference was found between the premature and mature groups in response to tactile deep pressure (p˂0.001), ocular motor control (p˂0.001), response to vestibular stimulus (p˂0.001) and total score (p˂0.001). Conclusion: It was observed that there was a significant increase in sensory function problems of premature babies in the week of birth. Therefore, it is important for therapists working in the field of pediatrics to learn about the birth weeks of children and to organize their intervention programs according to this risk when evaluating before the therapies they apply.

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