Preterm and Term Infants

This study aims to investigate the neural mechanisms involved in the development of reach-to-grasp function in infants. Reaching and grasping are crucial motor skills that develop early in infancy and are essential for later motor and cognitive milestones. Understanding how these skills emerge and the underlying neural processes can provide valuable insights into both typical and atypical development. The study will focus on infants aged 3 to 9 months, a critical period for the development of reach-to-grasp skills. A total of 100 infants will be recruited, including 50 full-term infants and 50 preterm infants (born \<36 weeks gestational age). Reach-to-grasp function will be evaluated through a cross-sectional assessment at a single time point. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) will be used as the brain imaging technique to measure brain activity during the reach-to-grasp task. The use of fNIRS will allow for a non-invasive assessment of neural activity in real time, providing insights into the brain mechanisms supporting the development of motor skills. The findings may offer important information about the neural basis of motor development in infancy, particularly in the context of preterm birth.

Newborns have thermoregulatory mechanisms that differ from those of adults. Instead of producing heat through shivering, newborns primarily rely on non-shivering thermogenesis by the brown adipose tissue. The development of this thermogenic tissue starts around the 26th gestational week and continues until shortly before birth, after which no further growth occurs. As a result, premature infants, who have less developed brown fat, are more prone to reduced heat production and are at higher risk for hypothermia. There are few human studies examining the thermoregulatory differences and mechanisms between full-term and premature neonates, and the findings remain inconclusive. In this study, the investigators aim to conduct a prospective, observational research. Researchers will compare body temperature, brown adipose tissue activity, and specific plasma markers between full-term and premature neonates in insensive care units and during elective surgeries.