Motor behaviour in infancy is associated with neurological, cognitive, and behavioural function of children born to parents with reduced fertility.
Ying-Chin Wu, Kirsten R Heineman, Sacha La Bastide-Van Gemert and 3 others
PMID 32222973WHAT IT FOUND
Infants with slow adaptability and performance scores had lower IQs at age 9.
Slow adaptability also predicted less optimal neurological function. Non-optimal variation and fluctuating fluency were linked to more internalizing problems, though these behavioural differences were small.
Key findings
01Children in the slow adaptability group had full-scale IQs 12.6 points lower and verbal IQs 11.4 points lower than those in the typical group.
02Children in the slow performance group had full-scale IQs 5.0 points lower and performance IQs 6.3 points lower than those in the typical group.
03Children in the slow adaptability group had neurological optimality scores 3.4 points lower than those in the typical group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study sample was not representative of the general population; 35% had complex MND compared to 6-7% in the general population, and IQs were 14 points higher than norms. Attrition was 22% between infancy and age 9, with those lost to follow-up being slightly younger mothers at conception. The behavioural differences in internalizing problems were small (3.6 to 5.8 points), limiting their predictive power for clinical decision-making. The IMP assessments were conducted over 10 years ago and re-scored with updated rules, though the authors state this did not change the core construct.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was part of the Groningen ART cohort, which was designed to study associations between IVF components and development.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these motor trajectories apply to the general population. The study sample had a much higher rate of neurological dysfunction and higher IQs than average, so these associations may not hold for children without a history of parental reduced fertility.