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Toe walking and language development
P Accardo1, J Morrow, M S Heaney
1Department of Pediatrics, St. Louis University School of Medicine, MO.
Insights
Idiopathic toe walking in children may be associated with lower language development. However, this study found the link between toe walking and language delay not to be clinically significant for most children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Early neurodevelopmental markers can indicate potential developmental disabilities.
- Idiopathic toe walking is a frequently observed gait pattern in childhood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between idiopathic toe walking and language development in a general pediatric population.
- To determine if toe walking is a clinically significant predictor of language delay.
Main Methods:
- A study included 163 children attending well-child visits.
- Data on language development and toe walking history were collected from caretakers.
- Children were observed for toe walking during their visits.
Main Results:
- The frequency of toe walking was 24% (39 out of 163 children).
- Toe walkers (n=39) exhibited consistently lower mean language quotients compared to non-toe walkers (n=127).
- Toe walking showed high specificity (85%) but low sensitivity (32%) for identifying low language scores.
Conclusions:
- The study data support an association between toe walking and language delay.
- This association, however, does not appear to be clinically significant for the general pediatric population.
Abstract:
Neurodevelopmental markers that are present early in childhood may identify children at risk for later developmental disabilities. This paper attempts to clarify the relationship between one such proposed marker, toe walking, and language development in a general pediatric population. One hundred sixty-three children being seen for well-child visits were included in the study. Information from each child's caretaker was obtained for language development and a history of toe walking; observation of toe walking during the visit was also included. The frequency of toe walking was 24%. Language quotients were calculated and compared for toe walkers (n = 39) and non-toe walkers (n = 127). The mean language quotient for toe walkers tended to be consistently lower than that for non-toe walkers. The specificity of toe walking for low language scores was 85% but had a sensitivity of only 32%. Although an association between toe walking and language delay is supported by the present data, the association does not appear to be clinically significant.