A Chinese study published online in JAMA has established a link between pre and post-term births and motor impairment in children.
The research was initiated by researchers at Nottingham Trent University.
In the study, over 150,000 young Chinese children were analyzed; the young participants were the ages of 3 to 5. Motor skills were assessed using the Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire.
What researchers deducted from the findings was that prematurity at birth, early-term and post-term birth had been linked to a higher risk of developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
“In this cohort study, every degree of prematurity at birth, early-term birth, and post-term birth were associated with suspected DCD when compared with full-term birth,” according to the NTU research group.
“These findings have important implications for understanding motor development in children born at different gestational ages. Long-term follow-up and rehabilitation interventions should be considered for children born early and post term.”
