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Developmental coordination disorder in "apparently normal" schoolchildren born extremely preterm

T-A Goyen1, K Lui

  • 1Department of Newborn Care, Royal Hospital for Women, Barker Street, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia 2031.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|October 8, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Children born extremely prematurely or with extremely low birth weight have a high risk of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) persisting into school age. Early motor skill assessments at age 3 can effectively predict DCD.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects a significant proportion of children born extremely preterm or with extremely low birth weight.
  • Motor dysfunction in these high-risk populations can persist into school age, impacting daily activities and academic performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of DCD in extremely premature or low birth weight children at 8 years of age.
  • To identify early predictors of DCD in this high-risk cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 50 extremely premature/low birth weight children (born <29 weeks or <1000 g) and matched full-term controls were assessed at 8 years using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC).
  • Previous motor assessments at 1, 3, and 5 years (Griffith's Scales, Peabody Motor Scales) were analyzed for predictive accuracy.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of DCD was significantly higher in the study group (42%) compared to controls (8%).
  • Severe DCD was also significantly more common in the high-risk group (30% vs 0%).
  • Peabody Fine Motor Scales at 3 years (cutoff <27th centile) demonstrated the best predictive ability for DCD (AUC 78%).

Conclusions:

  • Children born extremely preterm or with extremely low birth weight are at high risk for motor dysfunction into school years.
  • Early motor assessments, particularly at age 3, can identify most children at risk for DCD.
Abstract

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