Risk factors for motor coordination problems in preschool-age children
Satoshi Suyama1, Kazuyori Yagyu1, Atsuko Araki2
1Funded Research Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
Insights
Maternal smoking during pregnancy is linked to motor coordination problems (MCP) in preschool children. Early identification and intervention are crucial for developmental coordination disorder, which can persist into adolescence.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Motor coordination problems (MCP) in children are often diagnosed as developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
- Early intervention for DCD is critical as it can lead to long-term mental and physical complications.
- Limited research exists on childhood MCP prevalence and risk factors in Japan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate prenatal factors associated with motor coordination problems in preschool-age children.
- To identify specific risk factors contributing to MCP in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study: Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health.
- Mothers of 4,851 children completed questionnaires at age 5, including the DCDQ-J.
- Logistic regression analysis was used to examine risk factors for MCP.
Main Results:
- Analysis of 3,369 children revealed significant differences in maternal education, income, alcohol consumption, smoking, and child's sex/age.
- Maternal smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy was significantly associated with MCP.
- Male sex was also identified as a significant risk factor for MCP.
Conclusions:
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a primary factor associated with motor coordination problems in preschool children.
- Findings highlight the importance of prenatal care and smoking cessation for child development.
Background:
Motor coordination problems (MCP) in children can sometimes be diagnosed as developmental coordination disorder. Early intervention for developmental coordination disorder is necessary because it often continues into adolescence, causing mental and physical complications. Few studies have investigated the prevalence of childhood MCP in the Japanese population, examining the risk factors for MCP. We therefore investigated the prenatal factors associated with MCP in preschool-age children.
Methods:
This study was based on a prospective cohort study, the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health. Mothers of 4,851 children who reached the age of 5 years within the study-period received questionnaires, including the Japanese version of the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ-J). We examined the risk factors associated with MCP using logistic regression analysis.
Results:
Of 3,402 returned DCDQ-J questionnaires, 3,369 were answered completely. From the 3,369 children, we categorized having MCP by using two cut-off scores: that of the DCDQ'07 and the cut-off at the 5th percentile of a total DCDQ-J score. Comparing children with and without MCP, we found significant differences in the education level of the mothers, annual household income during pregnancy, maternal alcohol consumption and smoking during pregnancy, and sex and age of the children at the time of completing the DCDQ-J by both categorizations. Adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed that maternal smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy and male sex were significantly associated with MCP.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that maternal smoking during pregnancy is the main factor associated with MCP in preschool-age children.
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