Birth month and infant gross motor development: Results from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS)

The Importance of Follow-Up Visits for Children at Risk of Developmental Delay-A Review

Structured follow-up visits should be accessible for children at risk for developmental delay. Follow-up visits should include a serial neuromotor assessment in the first two years of life (e.g., 3-6, 12, 24 months corrected age), which are repeated during the transition to school. The diagnosis of neuromotor development may be prognostic for important skills later in life. The early diagnosis of a child's general movements can be helpful in planning appropriately for proper treatment and intervention. These diagnostic assessments should be conducted by qualified healthcare professionals. The evaluation of neuromotor developmental health is specified in the national guidelines and funded by either a national government or public or private healthcare insurance and based on standardized assessment scales. The aim of this study is to show what elements of follow-up visits are recommended.

OBJECTIVES

The group of patients for whom the structured follow-up systems are intended were children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestation) or full-term born children with severe neonatal complications.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The methods for monitoring neurodevelopment include the following: The General Movements Assessment (GMA), the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3), the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-4), and the Parent Report of Children's Abilities-Revised (PARCA-R).

RESULTS

The results of follow-up visits should be registered.

CONCLUSIONS

The benefits of follow-up neuromotor development assessments can be observed at school age and even in adulthood.

The Impact of Birth Season and Sex on Motor Skills in 2-Year-Old Children: A Study in Jinhua, Eastern China

BACKGROUND

This study investigates the effects of birth season and sex on the development of gross and fine motor skills in 2-year-old children in Jinhua, Eastern China.

METHODS

Conducted in Jinhua, a city in central Zhejiang Province, Eastern China, this research involved 225 children, assessing their gross and fine motor skills using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition. Scores were adjusted for age in months to avoid the relative age effect. Statistical analyses included MANOVA to evaluate the impacts of season and sex.

RESULTS

Sex had no significant impact on overall motor development scores (p > 0.05). However, the season of birth significantly affected fine motor quotient (FMQ) and total motor quotient (TMQ) (p < 0.05). Boys' motor skills were generally unaffected by season, whereas girls born in winter exhibited superior fine motor skills compared to those born in summer.

CONCLUSIONS

Seasonal environmental factors significantly influence early motor development, particularly fine motor skills in girls. These findings highlight the importance of considering seasonal variations in early childhood interventions aimed at enhancing exercise physiology and sports performance.

Correlation of gestational age and age at death in sudden infant death syndrome: another pointer to the role of critical developmental period?

BACKGROUND

Filiano and Kinney proposed a triple-risk model for the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) that involves the intersection of three risks: (1) a vulnerable infant, (2) a critical developmental period in homeostatic control, and (3) an exogenous stressor(s). The primary evidence for the role of a critical developmental period in SIDS etiology is the peak of cases around the third month of life. Independently, several studies pointed to correlation between gestational age and age at death in SIDS, but used that to assess the SIDS risk for preterm infants, ignoring further ramifications.

METHODS

We did a detailed analysis of CDC data spanning over two decades (1983-2011). We focused not only on the correlation between two age variables (gestational and age at death), but also on the possibility of misdiagnosis. Also, we attempted to account for potential biases in the data induced by the ICD-9/ICD-190 transition or the "Back to Sleep" campaign.

RESULTS

The peak of deaths in the third month of life, that was the main argument for the role of the critical development period, wasn't unique to SIDS. However, we confirmed an almost linear and negative correlation between gestational age and the week of death due to SIDS. This pattern (slope of correlation < 0 and significance of correlation p < 0.05) is characteristic of SIDS among all diseases analyzed in the study.

CONCLUSIONS

We interpret the results as the evidence of the role of the critical development period in SIDS etiology. Possibly more attention in the future research should be put to theories that are based on homeostatic control.

Visuomotor tracking strategies in children: associations with neurodevelopmental symptoms

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) often display motor problems that may impact their daily lives. Studying specific motor characteristics related to spatiotemporal control may inform us about the mechanisms underlying their challenges. Fifty-eight children with varying neurodevelopmental symptoms load (median age: 5.6 years, range: 2.7-12.5 years) performed an interactive tablet-based tracking task. By investigating digit touch errors relative to the target's movement direction, we found that a load of neurodevelopmental symptoms was associated with reduced performance in the tracking of abrupt alternating directions (zigzag) and overshooting the target. In contrast, reduced performance in children without neurodevelopmental symptoms was associated with lagging behind the target. Neurodevelopmental symptom load was also associated with reduced flexibility in correcting for lateral deviations in smooth tracking (spiral). Our findings suggest that neurodevelopmental symptoms are associated with difficulties in motor regulation related to inhibitory control and reduced flexibility, impacting motor control in NDDs.

Vitamin D supplementation and gross motor development: A 3-year follow-up of a randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Vitamin D status during pregnancy, early childhood and season-at-birth are implicated in gross motor development (GMD).

AIM

To test whether vitamin D intake in infancy and season-at-birth affect GMD in early childhood.

STUDY DESIGN

3-year follow up study of a single-center trial.

SUBJECTS

Healthy infants (n = 116) were allocated to 400 (standard-of-care), 800 or 1200 IU/day of vitamin D3 supplementation from 1 to 12 months; n = 70 returned for follow-up at 3-years.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcome was GMD using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 which includes gross motor quotient (GMQ) and stationary, locomotion and object manipulation subtests.

RESULTS

GMQ scores were normal (≥85) in 94 %. An interaction between dosage group and season-at-birth (p = 0.01) was observed for GMQ and stationary standardized score; among winter/spring born children, the 1200 IU/d scored higher vs. 400 and 800 IU/d groups. Object manipulation standardized score was higher (p = 0.04) in children in the 1200 vs. 400 IU/d group, without interaction with season-at-birth.

CONCLUSIONS

GMD in young children who received 400 IU/d of supplemental vitamin D in infancy is not influenced by season-at-birth. This dose of vitamin D of 400 IU/d as recommended in North America adequately supports GMD. The modest enhancement in GMD with 1200 IU/d in winter/spring born children requires further study.