Prematurity is one of the most prevalent biological factors in Brazil and may contribute to delayed motor, neurological, and sensory development, which may cause persistent problems in the future for these infants. Participation is essential for quality of life and health, especially in the home environment during early childhood, as it is an important component in motor development.

To characterize the motor development and home participation of preterm infants vs full-term infants.

3 preterm infants with corrected age (M= 36.1±0.05 gestational age), exposed group (EG); and 3 full-term infants (M= 38.5±0.86 gestational age), comparison group (CG) participated in this study. The outcomes, motor development, were assessed by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (EMIA) and participation by the Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM) questionnaire, both Brazilian versions. The score of motor development was performed by a blind evaluator for the groups. Descriptive analyses were carried out.

Infants of EG participated in 7 (53.84%) types of activities in the home environment, and presented a frequency mean of 3.38 (±0.0), while in the CG between 7 and 8 (58.97%) activities and showed a mean frequency of 3.89 (±0.31). In motor development, the EG obtained a mean total score of 17.6 (±2.51), percentile <5; while the CG, a mean of 23.67 (±5.50), percentile between 10 to 25.

Preterm infants presented less motor development and participation at home when compared to full-term infants. Further studies with larger sample sizes and in different contexts, such as in the community, are recommended.

Knowledge about prematurity and its impact on motor behavior and participation is essential for early intervention to support the demands of each family. The infants participation is correlated with motor performance; therefore, these factors need attention in the first months of life, a period of intense neuroplasticity of the central nervous system.