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[The Motor Development of Children with Infantile Esotropia]
Julia Dillmann1, Claudia Freitag1, Kerstin Holve2
1Entwicklungspsychologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen.
Insights
Children with infantile esotropia have poorer motor skills, even after surgery. Improved binocular vision post-surgery correlates with better balance, highlighting the link between vision and motor development.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Motor Control
Background:
- Established link between motor development and visual-spatial abilities in typically developing children.
- Limited research on motor development consequences in infantile esotropia and effects of late surgery.
- Infantile esotropia significantly impacts stereopsis, a key visual-spatial skill.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess motor abilities in children with infantile esotropia compared to typically developing peers.
- To evaluate the impact of surgery for infantile esotropia on motor development.
- To investigate the relationship between improved binocular vision and motor skills post-surgery.
Main Methods:
- Assessed motor abilities using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement ABC-2).
- Included 3- to 7-year-old children with severe infantile esotropia (angle ≥12°) and typically developing controls.
- Evaluations conducted pre-surgery and 12-16 months post-surgery.
Main Results:
- Strabismic children consistently scored lower globally on motor skills pre- and post-surgery.
- Significant differences noted in manual dexterity and balance (pre-surgery), and manual dexterity and ball skills (post-surgery).
- No overall motor development improvement observed post-surgery; however, better balance in those with improved binocular vision (positive Bagolini test).
Conclusions:
- Children with infantile esotropia exhibit persistent motor skill deficits.
- Post-surgical improvement in binocular vision is associated with enhanced balance skills.
- Findings underscore the critical interplay between visual development and motor proficiency in childhood.
Abstract:
Background Until now, many studies have investigated the link between motor development and visual-spatial abilities in infancy and childhood. Most of these studies found evidence that there is such a link in typically developing children or children with locomotor delay. Only a few studies have tested the consequences of this link in children with abnormal visual development because of infantile esotropia. Moreover, little is known about the effects of late surgery on motor development. Patients and Methods We assessed the motor abilities of 3- to 7-year old children with severe deficits in stereopsis due to infantile esotropia (angle ≥ 12°) and typically developing children prior to and 12 to 16 months after surgery. We used the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement ABC-2). Results Prior to and one year after surgery, the strabismic children showed significantly lower global motor scores than normal children. Moreover, in the strabismic children, we found significant differences relative to the healthy children in the subscales assessing manual dexterity and balance prior to and significant differences in the subscales assessing manual dexterity and ball skills after surgery. Overall, the strabismic group did not demonstrate improvements in motor development after surgery. However, the children with a positive Bagolini striated glass test following surgery performed better in the subscale assessing balance than children with a negative Bagolini striated glass test. Conclusions Motor skills were poorer in children with infantile esotropia, both prior to and following surgery. Moreover, the children with improved binocular vision after surgery demonstrated better balance skills. Possible explanations and practical implications are discussed.