Metabolic syndrome in children with and without developmental coordination disorder

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Gita Wahi1, Paul J LeBlanc, John A Hay

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Research in Developmental Disabilities
|June 29, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) show higher rates of abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, and blood pressure. These factors increase their risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS) compared to peers.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Metabolic Health
  • Developmental Disorders

Background:

  • Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) exhibit higher obesity rates than typically developing children.
  • This increased obesity risk may predispose them to metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of MetS and its individual components in children with and without DCD.
  • To identify specific metabolic risk factors associated with DCD in children.

Main Methods:

  • A nested case-control study involving 63 children with probable DCD (pDCD) and 63 controls, identified using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC-2).
  • Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed based on International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria.
  • Key metrics included abdominal obesity, serum triglycerides, blood pressure, and other MetS components.

Main Results:

  • Eleven children met MetS criteria; 8 were in the pDCD group (72.3%) versus 3 controls (27.3%).
  • Abdominal obesity was significantly higher in the pDCD group (46.0%) compared to controls (15.9%).
  • Elevated serum triglycerides and higher blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) were observed in children with pDCD.

Conclusions:

  • Children with probable DCD demonstrate a higher prevalence of key metabolic syndrome risk factors, including abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, and hypertension.
  • These findings suggest that children with DCD are at an elevated risk for developing metabolic syndrome earlier than their peers.
  • Early identification and intervention for metabolic health in children with DCD are warranted.

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