Perceptual development and early childhood injuries: a prospective pilot study

A prospective pilot study of 172 Hispanic children was performed to identify developmental predictors of 9 maternal reports of childhood injuries that required medical attention during the following year. The 1972 McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities was administered near the children's third birthday and maternal reports of injuries were obtained the following year. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the Verbal, Perceptual, Quantitative, Memory, and Motor Subscales of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities accounted for a small but statistically significant proportion of variance. Within the model, children who showed advanced abilities on the Perceptual Subscale were more likely to reported as having an injury requiring medical attention during the subsequent 12-month period.