ERIC Number: EJ849943
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Feb
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1622
EISSN: N/A
Motor Coordination Difficulties and Physical Fitness of Extremely-Low-Birthweight Children
Burns, Yvonne R.; Danks, Marcella; O'Callaghan, Michael J.; Gray, Peter H.; Cooper, David; Poulsen, Leith; Watter, Pauline
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, v51 n2 p136-142 Feb 2009
Motor coordination difficulties and poor fitness exist in the extremely low birthweight (ELBW) population. This study investigated the relative impact of motor coordination on the fitness of ELBW children aged 11 to 13 years. One hundred and nine children were recruited to the study: 54 ELBW participants (mean age at assessment 12y 6mo; 31 male, 23 female; mean birthweight 769g, SD 148g; mean gestational age 26.6 weeks, SD 2.1 weeks) and 55 comparison children (mean age at assessment 12y 5mo; 28 males, 27 females; at least 37 weeks' gestation). All children completed the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC), functional tests of postural stability and strength, growth measures, and tests of respiratory function. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO[subscript 2]max) was calculated from a 20m shuttle run test as a measure of fitness. The ELBW group had greater problems with postural stability (p = 0.001) and motor coordination (p = 0.001), with 70% rated as having a definite motor problem on the MABC brackets (those who scored less than the 5th centile on the MABC). The ELBW was also less fit than the comparison group (p = 0.001), with 45% below the 10th centile for VO[subscript 2]max. There were differences between the groups for growth, strength, and particularly respiratory function. However, respiratory function did not significantly correlate with VO[subscript 2]max in the ELBW group. Motor coordination was the most powerful predictor of VO[subscript 2]max in both the ELBW (p = 0.001) and the comparison groups (p = 0.001).
Descriptors: Physical Fitness, Pregnancy, Motor Development, Psychomotor Skills, Child Development, Developmental Stages, Body Weight, Infants, Preadolescents, Early Adolescents, Physical Disabilities, Human Posture, Comparative Analysis, Predictor Variables
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A