Effects of the Additional Weight on the Reaching Behavior of Pre Term Infants With Low Birth Weight

The infants will be positioned in a reclined position. A bracelet with an additional weight (20% of the total mass of the upper limb) will be placed on both wrists. The training will happen 2x/week, during 4 weeks (8 sessions). An object will be used to stimulate the reaching behavior, which will be displayed by the examiner (positioned in front of the infant), and presented in the midline at shoulder height, considering the distance from the arm's length of the infant to the height of the wrist. The physiotherapist will draw the attention of the infant to the object, moving it momentarily so that the infant perceives it and reaches it. After reaching, the object will be carefully removed and resubmitted in order to elicit a new movement. The interval between each presentation will be of approximately 5 seconds. At least 10 movements will be stimulated. If the infant does not achieve the 10 reaches within the maximum interval of 15 minutes, the session will be terminated.

The infants will be positioned in a reclined position. A bracelet without the additional weight will be placed on both wrists. The training will happen 2x/week, during 4 weeks (8 sessions). An object will be used to stimulate the reaching behavior, which will be displayed by the examiner (positioned in front of the infant), and presented in the midline at shoulder height, considering the distance from the arm's length of the infant to the height of the wrist. The physiotherapist will draw the attention of the infant to the object, moving it momentarily so that the infant perceives it and reaches the object. After reaching, the object will be carefully removed (or picked up) and resubmitted in order to elicit a new movement. The interval between each presentation of the object will be of approximately 5 seconds. At least 10 movements will be stimulated. If the infant does not achieve the 10 reaches within the maximum interval of 15 minutes, the session will be terminated.