A stable postural control is the basis for the organization and voluntary execution of a movement. This is externalized through the development of motor abilities such as head control. Premature deliveries in themselves are pathological events which represent many risks to the child, thus, affecting the fast and integral development of their central nervous system, responsible for voluntary motricity. Comparing the development of head control among children born preterm and at term is the objective of this study. The study analyzed video recordings of 5 children born prematurely and 5 children born at term, at the age of two and four months respectively, who were participating in the Motor Development Follow-up Program For Children Born Preterm, maintained by the Londrina State University School Hospital / Department of Physical Therapy. Items related to the development of head control included in the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) were used in the evaluation. There was a difference in the scores obtained by the preterm and at term children; however, these values were not significant according to the test t of Student. Results from this study suggest that premature birth does not represent a risk at the final development of head control. Despite the slightly late development in the acquisition of head control observed in the preterm children, both groups had similar scores at four months of age.

KEY WORDS: prematurity; head control; GMFM