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Factors influencing gross motor development in young children in an urban child welfare system

Heather Hanson1, Abbas F Jawad, Tiffany Ryan

  • 1Physical Therapy Department, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. hansonh@email.chop.edu

Pediatric Physical Therapy : the Official Publication of the Section on Pediatrics of the American Physical Therapy Association
|November 18, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Young children in child welfare (CW) show delayed gross motor (GM) skills compared to norms. Factors like abuse, neglect, and parental substance abuse negatively impact GM development in these vulnerable children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Social Work

Background:

  • Children involved with child welfare (CW) may face unique developmental challenges.
  • Gross motor (GM) skills are crucial for early childhood development and overall well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess gross motor (GM) development in young children engaged with child welfare (CW) services.
  • To investigate the impact of various child welfare-related factors on GM skill acquisition.

Main Methods:

  • One hundred seventy-six children involved with CW underwent GM assessments and physical examinations.
  • Caseworker interviews and statistical analyses, including regression, were employed to examine relationships.

Main Results:

  • Children in CW exhibited lower GM scores than population norms, linked to growth parameters.
  • Kinship care was associated with better GM outcomes than foster care or in-home services.
  • Abuse, neglect, and substance abuse correlated with lower GM scores, while abandonment referrals showed higher scores.

Conclusions:

  • Children in child welfare services demonstrate a prevalence of gross motor (GM) delays.
  • Specific experiences within the child welfare system significantly influence GM skill development.
Abstract

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