Understanding how preterm birth affects motor skill learning in young children

Motor skill learning in young children born preterm

NIH-funded research Marquette University · NIH-10821482

This study looks at how being born early affects young kids, ages 5 to 8, in learning to use their hands and bodies for different tasks, comparing them to kids who were born on time, to better understand any challenges they might face.

Quick facts

Grant typeR03 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionMarquette University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Milwaukee, United States)
Project IDNIH-10821482 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates the impact of preterm birth on the ability of young children to learn motor skills. It focuses on children aged 5-8 years who were born prematurely and compares their motor learning abilities to those of children born at term. Through controlled laboratory tasks, the study aims to evaluate how these children perform in learning both unimanual and bimanual motor skills. The findings could help identify specific challenges faced by preterm children in developing motor skills.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for participation are children aged 5-8 years who were born before 32 weeks of gestation.

Not a fit: Children who were born at term and do not have any motor skill learning difficulties may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved interventions for enhancing motor skill development in children born preterm.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that understanding motor skill development in preterm children can lead to effective interventions, indicating that this approach has potential for success.

Where this research is happening

Milwaukee, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.