Evaluation and comparison of the sensory processing in infants born by natural delivery and caesarean section

Aim of the study
The aim of this study was to determine whether the examined children have deficits in sensory processing and to assess the occurrence of these disorders, as well as to compare the sensory processes of infants born by natural delivery (ND) and caesarean section (CS).

Material and methods
The research was conducted in May–June 2018 at the Department of Rehabilitation of the Children’s Hospital of prof. dr med. Jan Bogdanowicz in Warsaw. Thirty infants born in ND and 30 infants born by CS aged 4–6 months were involved. The inclusion criteria were: term birth (38–42 Hbd), birth weight above 2500 g, ND or CS, and age 4–6 months. Exclusion criteria were: serious psychomotor dysfunctions, e.g. genetic defects, neurological and orthopaedic diseases, sight and hearing defects, infants from complicated and endangered pregnancies, perinatal medical history, hungry and/or tired child during examination, and withdrawal of consent of a parent or legal guardian for their child to participate in the study. Test of Sensory Function in Infants (TSFI) and the Sensomotor Questionnaire – our own study was used to evaluate sensory processing.

Results
The analysis of TSFI and the Sensomotor Questionnaire showed statistically significant differences between the groups. The largest differences were recorded in the reactivity to tactile deep pressure (RTD) subtest. More than half of the infants delivered by CS and only two children born by ND were in the deficit group in the RTD subtest.

Conclusions
Sensory processing disorders are more common in infants delivered by CS than in infants born by ND. Early diagnosis and possible therapy for improvement, especially in children born by CS, is recommended.