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Association of the Onset of Self-Feeding With Subsequent Suspected Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Prospective
Jing Hua1, Gareth J Williams2, Anna L Barnett3
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Insights
Delayed self-feeding in children is linked to a higher risk of motor impairments, including Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Early intervention for delayed self-feeding may support better motor development outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric developmental psychology
- Childhood motor development
- Developmental Coordination Disorder research
Background:
- Self-feeding is a key developmental milestone reflecting early motor skills and environmental influences.
- The onset of self-feeding may predict future motor development trajectories in children.
- Understanding the link between self-feeding onset and motor disorders is crucial for early identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the timing of self-feeding onset and the risk of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in preschoolers.
- To explore these associations in the context of one-child versus two-child families.
- To identify early behavioral markers for potential motor impairments.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 11,727 preschoolers (aged 3-6 years) from kindergartens in China.
- Assessment using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-second edition (MABC-2) Test for motor performance.
- Analysis using mixed and multi-level logistic models to examine the relationship between self-feeding onset and motor outcomes, controlling for child and family factors.
Main Results:
- Delayed self-feeding onset (after 12 months) was significantly associated with lower MABC-2 scores and increased risk and prevalence of suspected DCD.
- Associations were significant across fine motor, gross motor, and balance subtests.
- The presence of a sibling appeared to mitigate the strength of these associations in fine motor and balance subtests.
Conclusions:
- Delayed self-feeding serves as an early behavioral indicator for later childhood motor impairment.
- The presence of a sibling may influence motor development patterns, potentially offering protective effects.
- Early identification of delayed self-feeding can aid in predicting and potentially intervening in motor development challenges.
Background:
Successful self-feeding reflects the readiness of early motor development and environmental impacts, and the onset of self-feeding as a developmental milestone might be a predictor of subsequent motor development in children. In this study, we explored the association between the onset of self-feeding and childhood risk of Developmental Coordination Disorder in children from one-child and two-child families.
Methods:
We conducted a data-linkage prospective cohort study from 38 kindergartens in 6 cities in China. A total of 11,727 preschoolers aged 3-6 years old were included in the final analysis and were assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-second edition (MABC-2) Test. The information on early self-feeding onset was obtained from parents. The mixed and multi-level logistic models utilizing a random intercept were used to investigate the associations between the onset time of self-feeding and subsequent motor performance.
Results:
The results showed that, compared with those beginning self-feeding at or younger than 12 months of age, children starting self-feeding at 13-24, 25-36, and later than 36 months, showed a decrease in their total MABC-2 scores of 2.181, 3.026, and 3.874, respectively; and had an increased risk of suspected DCD by 36.0, 101.6, 102.6%, respectively; they also had 30.2, 46.6, 71.2% increased prevalence of at risk of suspected DCD, when adjusting for both child and family characteristics (each p < 0.05). Significant associations were observed in fine motor, gross motor, and balance subtests (each p < 0.05) in groups with a delayed onset of self-feeding. However, the strength of the associations was mitigated in the fine motor and balance subtests in children with a sibling.
Conclusion:
The delayed onset time of self-feeding acts as an early behavioral marker for later childhood motor impairment. Moreover, children with a sibling may benefit from additional interaction and their motor developmental pattern may be affected by the presence of a sibling.
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