INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to analyze and compare patterns of kicks with and without additional weight in preterm and full-term infants of 3 and 4 months old. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six infants were filmed at 3 and 4 months of age, divided into experimental group, 12 preterm infants without corrected age, and control group, 14 infants full-term. The experiment was subdivided into four conditions, namely: 1) Training (T): the investigator touched the infants' feet on the panel, raising it; 2) Baseline (B): free movements of kicks, the infant may raise or not the panel with feet, 3) Weight (W): addition of anklet weighing 1/3 the mass of lower limb, 4) Post-weight (PW): identical to B. RESULTS: Difference was found in the variable frequency of kicks, considering ages [F (5,72) = 5.620, p = 0.0035] and conditions B-W (p = 0.023) and W-PW (p < 0.001). In the variable frequency of contact difference was obtained considering conditions B-W (p = 0.002) and W-PW (p < 0.001). In the variable success in raising the panel, difference was found between groups (x²(1) = 4.341, p = 0.0013) and conditions B-W (p = 0.003), B-W (p = 0.002) and W-PW (p = 0.002) at 3 months of age. The variable length of the kick presented a difference between conditions B-W (p = 0.023) and W-PW (p = 0.010). CONCLUSION: The kicks of preterm infants differ depending on the intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics.
Development; Kicks; Additional weight; Preterm; Infant
