Journal of Tropical Diseases & Public Health

A typical African child in the first three months of life: Description of milestone of development in a cohort of African Infants

6^th International Conference on Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control & 5^th International conference on Pediatrics and Healthcare

May 16, 2022 | Webinar

Ngozi Florence Onuegbu

University of Lagos, Nigeria

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Trop Dis

Abstract:

Aims: In spite of the disparities in neuromotor development highlighted by cross-cultural research, there is little documentation on neuromotor development among African children, an even less so among Nigerian infants. This study explored the neuromotor development and neuromotor behavior in the first three months of life of infants in an African population. Methods: This was an observational, descriptive, crosssectional survey of 108 apparently healthy, typically developing neonates (57 males and 51 females) with no history of complications or deformities, recruited from neonatal units of a tertiary and a secondary health institution in Lagos, Nigeria. Alberta Infant Motor Scale was used to assess their motor development while child-handling exercises and their primitive reflexes were assesses using a primitive reflex chart. Results: The median percentile rank of Alberta Infant Motor Scale scores at birth and one-month was 75th percentile, while it was 50th percentile at two month and three month. At three months, their prone, supine, sit, stand and total neuromotor score was 4.25, 3.58, 2.30, 2.20 and 12.30 respectively which were higher than the documented norms. Survival primitive reflexes were present at birth for all participants while tonic neck reflexes were absent at birth for all participants. Conclusion: Nigerian children attained neuromotor milestones faster than the documented norms from the western world and present with disparity in primitive reflex pattern from documented norms. This suggests that childhandling cultural practices may influence neuromotor behavior of Nigerian infants. Key Words: Neuromotor Development, Infants, African child, Typical.

Biography :

Ngozi Florence Onuegbu has completed her PhD in Neuromotor Development in Physiotherapy, at the University of Lagos Nigeria. She is the Principal Physiotherapist and Chief Researcher at the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria (MRTB). She has several publications.