Article

AIM: To determine whether motor development at 3 months of age is associated with
cognitive, motor, and behavioural outcomes in healthy children at early school
age. METHOD: In this cohort study, we included 74 term-born, healthy children (44
males, 30 females; median gestational age 40.1wks, range 38.0-42.6wks). From
video recordings (median 12.9wks, range 9.3-18.6wks), we assessed the quality of
fidgety movements, and calculated a motor optimality score. At school age (median
5y 11mo, range 5y 8mo-7y 6mo), we performed detailed cognitive, motor, and
behavioural assessments. We examined whether aspects of motor development were
associated with functional outcomes. RESULTS: An age-adequate motor repertoire,
in particular the presence of antigravity, midline leg, and manipulation
movements, was related to poorer cognition, whereas variable finger postures was
related to better cognition. Children with a monotonous concurrent motor
repertoire had better ball skills but experienced more behavioural problems. The
presence of antigravity movements tended to be associated with abnormal
recognition (odds ratio [OR] 4.4, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9-21; R(2)
=0.17; p=0.070), where the absence of variable finger postures was associated
with borderline and abnormal visual-spatial perception (OR 20, 95% CI, 1.7-238;
R(2) =0.39; p=0.018). INTERPRETATION: Detailed aspects of motor development at 3
months of age are associated with cognition and behaviour, but not with motor
outcome, in healthy children at early school age. Our findings suggest that early
motor development may be the basis for later cognitive and behavioural
performance. Since the associations were only moderate, possible environmental
influences should be acknowledged.
CI - (c) 2014 Mac Keith Press.

Langue : ANGLAIS