A Cross-Sectional Observational Study of Developmental Coordination Disorders in the School-Age Very Low Birth Weight Children

Abstract

Background: While the prevalence of very low birth weight children (VLBWC) experiencing difficulties as a result of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is increasing, the diagnostic criteria for DCD have remained unclear. The objective of this study is to elucidate the current situation and characteristics of DCD in VLBWC. Method: The VLBWC group (n = 14) comprised subjects with a mean birth weight of 986±355 g and a mean gestational age of 26±2.74 weeks. The fine motor skill characteristics of VLBWC were compared to those of the control group using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (MABC-2). Moreover, the association between the MABC-2 results and the parent-completed child behavior checklists (CBCL) was determined. Result: There was a relatively high percentage of VLBWC with DCD/DCD risk. A significantly low MABC-2 index reported in VLBWC was attributed primarily to manual dexterity. Moreover, VLBWC with DCD frequently experienced daily difficulties as a result of their incompetence. Conclusion: The six-year-old VLBWC were more frequently associated with DCD and had more difficulties with clumsiness in their daily lives compared to the control group.

Keywords

• very low birth weight infant
• developmental coordination disorder
• movement assessment battery for children
• child behavior checklist