Descriptive analysis of static postural control in 4, 6, and 8 year old normal and motorically awkward children

The purpose of the study was to analyze static postural control in 4, 6, and 8 year old normally and slowly developing children using qualitative electromyographic (EMG) techniques. Fourteen normally developing and six motorically awkward children performed seven different static balance tasks; twelve different muscle groups were monitored electromyographically. Results indicated that average amplitude of EMG activity involved in static postural task performance decreased with increasing age for normally developing children. Motorically awkward children displayed greater amounts of muscular activity in task performance than did normal children of similar chronological ages. Muscle activity profiles of motorically awkward children were clearly unlike those of normally developing children. The suggestion is made that one of the important characteristics of neuromuscular development in normal children is a gradual refinement of both localization and level of muscle activity.