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Bone Mineral Content in Infants With Myelomeningocele, With and Without Treadmill Stepping Practice
Do Kyeong Lee1, Karin Muraszko, Beverly D Ulrich
1Infant Action Lab (Dr Lee), Department of Psychology, New York University, New York; Department of Neurosurgery (Dr Muraszko), School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Developmental Neuromotor Control Laboratory (Dr Ulrich), School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Insights
Bone mineralization is lower in infants with myelomeningocele (MMC). Early upright supported stepping practice (USSP) can improve bone mineral content (BMC) in infants with MMC within the first year.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric orthopedics
- Developmental pediatrics
- Pediatric bone health
Background:
- Myelomeningocele (MMC) is a congenital condition affecting bone development.
- Bone mineral content (BMC) is crucial for skeletal health in infants.
- Early intervention may impact long-term bone health in infants with disabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare bone mineral content (BMC) development in infants with myelomeningocele (MMC) and typical development (TD).
- To investigate the effect of upright supported stepping practice (USSP) on BMC in infants with MMC.
Main Methods:
- Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure whole body, leg, and arm BMC in 36 infants aged 1-18 months.
- BMC data were normalized using anthropometric measurements.
- Infants were categorized into: myelomeningocele with USSP, myelomeningocele without USSP, and typical development.
Main Results:
- Infants with MMC showed slightly lower whole-body BMC compared to infants with TD.
- Leg and arm BMC were significantly lower in infants with MMC than in those with TD.
- Infants with MMC who received USSP demonstrated increased BMC with age.
Conclusions:
- Bone mineralization in infants with MMC lags behind that of infants with typical development.
- Daily upright supported stepping practice (USSP) can enhance bone mineral content (BMC) in infants with MMC, starting in the first year of life.
Purpose:
To study development of bone mineral content (BMC) in infants with myelomeningocele (MMC) who did or did not receive upright supported stepping practice (USSP) and in infants with typical development (TD).
Methods:
We tested 36 infants across the ages of 1 to 18 months. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to collect raw BMC data for the whole body, legs, and arms, which were normalized using anthropometrics.
Results:
Whole-body BMC generally increased with age; values for infants with MMC were slightly lower than those for infants with TD. Bone mineral content for legs and arms was lower for infants with MMC than for infants with TD. Between MMC groups, the group receiving USSP showed increases in BMC with age.
Conclusion:
Bone mineralization in infants with MMC begins to lag compared with infants with TD across infancy, and daily USSP can improve BMC as early as the first year of life.
