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The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) is a well-known, norm-referenced scale that evaluates the gross motor development of children from birth to 18 months. The aim of the study was to compare the Canadian norms with the AIMS scores of a Turkish sample of infants, and to investigate whether the current reference values of the AIMS are representative for Turkish full-term infants. The study was conducted with 411 Turkish infants of both sexes (195 girls and 216 boys), born with gestational age 38 weeks and older, weighing ≥2500 g at birth. Motor performance of all the cases at different ages were assessed with the AIMS which was used by a physiotherapist. The mean AIMS scores of Turkish infants were compared with the norm values of the original AIMS established in a Canadian sample of infants. The results showed no statistically significant differences between the AIMS scores of Turkish and Canadian infants during the first 18 months of life except at 0- < 1 and 2- < 3 months of age. The AIMS scores were significantly lower in Turkish infants than in Canadian infants at 0- < 1 (p=0.025) and 2- < 3 (p=0.042) months of age. In conclusion, the AIMS can be used in Turkish children to assess gross motor development, especially after 4 months of age. However, this paper was presented as a preliminary study to compare AIMS results between Turkish and Canadian infants, and further studies are needed to realize the Turkish validation of AIMS.

This prospective single-blinded study was performed to evaluate general movements (GMs) in group of high-risk, low-birth-weight and preterm infants and to compare results with neurologic examination. All infants' neurologic examinations, Gross Motor Function Measurement (GMFM) and Bayley-III Scale were performed at the corrected age of 12 months. A total of 22 infants were included. Eight infants (group-1) (mean: 31.6±3.29 weeks, range: 25-36 weeks) had normal GMs in all recordings and were ultimately evaluated as "normal"; 12 (group-2) (mean: 31.6±3.29 weeks, range:2 5-35 weeks) had abnormal GMs during writhing movements period but had normal GMs in subsequent recordings and were evaluated as "normal"; and 2 infants (group-3) (mean:29.5±7.78 weeks, range:24-35 weeks) with consistent abnormal GMs who were evaluated as "abnormal." Complete agreement (kappa=1) was found between GMs and neurologic examination and significant agreement between GMs and cranial ultrasonography (kappa=0.76). When results of GMFM and Bayley-III were compared; statistically significant differences were found between group-1 and group-2 in "standing" parameter of GMFM (p < 0.05) and "cognitive" parameter of Bayley-III (p < 0.05). GMs assessment can help determine neurologic disorders in high-risk infant populations as an adjunct to other diagnostic techniques.