1,720,968 research outputs found
Postural control during standing reach in children with Down syndrome
No full textThe purpose of the present study was to investigate the dynamic postural control of children with Down syndrome (DS). Specifically, we compared postural control and goal-directed reaching performance between children with DS and typically developing children during standing reach. Standing reach performance was analyzed in three main phases using the kinematic and kinetic data collected from a force plate and a motion capture system. Fourteen children with DS, age and gender matched with fourteen typically developing children, were recruited for this study. The results showed that the demand of the standing reach task affected both dynamic postural control and reaching performance in children with DS, especially in the condition of beyond arm's length reaching. More postural adjustment strategies were recruited when reaching distance was beyond arm's length. Children with DS tended to use inefficient and conservative strategies for postural stability and reaching. That is, children with DS perform standing reach with increased reaction and execution time and decreased amplitudes of center of pressure displacements. Standing reach resembled functional balance that is required in daily activities. It is suggested to be considered as a part of strength and balance training program with graded task difficulty. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Parenting stress in families with very low birth weight preterm infants in early infancy
No full textTaking care of a premature infant adds an extra burden to already stressed parents. Previous studies have shown that parental stress occurs during the initial hospitalization. However, there is little information on parental stress over time, and the few existing results are conflicting. In addition, many studies have focused on maternal stress but there is little information about a father's long-term adaptation to stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree and type of parenting stress in the families of very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants over the first two years of life. We compared parenting stress in families with preterm infants with control families, while also comparing the stress in mothers to that in fathers. Furthermore, we explored the relationship between parenting stress in the preterm group with identified factors that included the infant's age, medical complications, and parents' perceived feeding issues after they had been discharged from the hospital. This was an exploratory study with a cross sectional design. Participants included a total of 505 mothers from Tainan, Taiwan; 297 with preterm children (239 mothers, 58 fathers) and 208 with full-term children (181 mothers, 27 fathers). Assessments including the Parenting Stress Index, Neonatal Medical Index and Behavior-based Feeding Questionnaire were used to measure parental distress, infants' medical complications and parents' perceived feeding issues, respectively. Results of the study, though not statistically significant, indicated the presence of increased parenting stress in parents of preterm infants as compared to parents of full-term infants. 13.1% of mothers with preterm infants demonstrated total stress levels that warranted clinical intervention. We also found that mothers of preterm infants presented different parenting stress patterns than fathers of preterm infants. Fathers of preterm infants tended to have overall higher stress scores than mothers. On the other hand, mothers of preterm infants tended to report more health related difficulties, more depression, higher social isolation and role restriction, and less support from their spouses, than reported by fathers. Moreover, as time went on, parents with preterm infants continued to experience greater parenting stress than those with full-term infants. Understanding the experiences of parents with preterm children is important for health care providers while interviewing parents for information regarding their children and designing intervention programs to improve children's outcomes. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd
Hand function and its prognostic factors of very low birth weight preterm children up to a corrected age of 24 months
No full textA delay in functional hand performance broadly affects a child's successful participation in daily activities as well as later academic performance. Despite its high prevalence, hand function has received much less attention than other developmental domains, especially for young children. The aims of this study, therefore, were to examine hand function in preterm children up to a corrected age of 24 months; to establish predictive models for estimating preterm children's hand function; and to identify the contribution of early neuromotor assessments. This study included 230 preterm children (69, 76, and 85 children at corrected ages of 6-, 12-, and 24-months, respectively) who were recruited from the database of the preemie follow-up clinic at the National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Tainan, Taiwan. Hand function was evaluated using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales II. Demographic information, birth history, and developmental documents were obtained from the medical records of routine preemie clinic follow-ups. Approximately half of healthy preterm children demonstrate hand function deficits at 12 and 24 months of corrected age. The Neonatal Medical Index, representing an infant's history of medical complication, was the best predictor of hand function at 12 and 24 months of corrected age. The social factor, represented by maternal educational year, was found to have influence on hand function only in preterm children at corrected age of 24 months old. Finally, early neuromotor performance demonstrated significant predictability of later hand function that supports the importance of continuous follow-up examinations in children with a history of prematurity. An understanding of a preterm child's early hand function as well as how its risk factors evolve helps clinicians both target children who might benefit from early intervention and ensure that children reach their full developmental potential. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes at preschool age for children with very low birth weight
No full textThe purpose of this study was to examine predictors of neurodevelopmental outcome in very low birth weight children without major impairment at 5 years of age, as well as to identify the contribution of early neurodevelopmental assessment to preterm children's later developmental outcomes. The participants in this study included 126 children who were prematurely born with very low birth weight. Outcomes of the "childrens later development were measured in tests that factored cognitive function, motor performance, and adaptive behavior. The results indicated that more than 50% of full-Scale intelligence and 30% of both motor performance and adaptive behavior at the age of 5 can be explained by four predictors. The four predictors include preterm children's medical complications at birth, maternal education, early motor assessments, and cognitive assessments. Adding each test score obtained in early ages provides additional information to predict children's cognitive, motor, and adaptive behavior at 5 years of age. Manifold assessments conducted in multiple time periods strengthen the predictive values of later developmental outcomes. In addition, the findings of this study indicate that very low birth weight children tend to have lower adaptive behavior at 5 years old. With regard to our findings, we believe that having adaptive function is a reflection of a child's overall integrated abilities. Further study is warranted to increase understanding of this topic, as well as to be able to predict adaptive strengths and weakness and pinpoint limiting factors that may be useful for targeting behaviors in intervention. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Predicting Handwriting Legibility in Taiwanese Elementary School Children
No full textThis study investigates handwriting characteristics and potential predictors of handwriting legibility among typically developing elementary school children in Taiwan. Predictors of handwriting legibility included visual motor integration (VMI), visual perception (VP), eye-hand coordination (EHC), and biomechanical characteristics of handwriting. A total of 118 children were recruited from an elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan. A computerized program then assessed their handwriting legibility. The biomechanics of handwriting were assessed using a digitizing writing tablet. The children's VMI, VP, and EHC were assessed using the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration. Results indicated that predictive factors of handwriting legibility varied in different age groups. VMI predicted handwriting legibility for first-grade students, and EHC and stroke force predicted handwriting legibility for second-grade students. Kinematic factors such as stroke velocity were the only predictor for children in fifth and sixth grades
Psychometric Characteristics of the Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale in Healthy Preterm Infants
No full textWe examined the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale (NOMAS) in healthy preterm infants. Feeding records of 147 infants (71 males, 76 females; gestational age [GA] 0 .70) in the normal category for 32 to 35 weeks'PMA. Moderate correlations were found between scores on the NOMAS and feeding performance for all age groups except for PMA of >= 36 weeks (absolute Spearman's r(s)=0.51-0.69) , indicating acceptable convergent validity. The NOMAS demonstrated moderate responsiveness to changes in oral-motor skills in every 2-week period, ranging from 32 to 36 weeks'PMA ( standard response mean greater than 0.5). This study demonstrated that the normal and disorganized categories of the NOMAS are useful, with acceptable psychometric properties, in assessing oral-motor function in preterm infants aged 32 to 35 weeks' PMA. Future research on infants with abnormal oral-motor skills is needed to further validate psychometric properties of the dysfunction category of the NOMAS
Cooccurrence of Problems in Activity Level, Attention, Psychosocial Adjustment, Reading and Writing in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
No full textThe purpose of this paper was to investigate the cooccurrence of problems in activity level, attention, reading, writing and psychosocial adjustment of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). A parent- report questionnaire, the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire - Chinese version (DCDQ-C), was used to screen first to third graders from 13 mainstream schools in Taipei. Two standardized motor tests were then administered to those who scored below 10% on the DCDQ-C. Tests of activity level, attention, reading, writing and psychosocial adjustment were then administered to this sample. Thirty-eight children identified as DCD, 32 as suspect for DCD and 82 as normal comparison were included in the final sample. Multivariate analysis of variance comparing the three groups (DCD, suspect DCD, and comparison ) revealed that both children with DCD and suspect for DCD obtained significantly poorer scores on measures of attention and reading, and were more hyperactive than comparison children. Children with DCD and suspect for DCD were also reported to have more internalizing and social problems than children without motor problems. No significant differences, however, were noted between children with different degree of motor coordination problems ( categorized as DCD and suspect for DCD) on any measure. Furthermore, a high percentage of children in both the DCD and suspect groups fell in the clinical range of attention, activity level and psychosocial adjustment problems. The results revealed a high risk for these problems in nonreferred children with motor coordination problems. The high percentage of clinical range behavioral problems warrants attention of clinicians who work with children with motor coordination difficulties to the need to promote early identification and referral
Improving Relationship-Based Feeding of Infants and Young Children with Disabilities: Developing a Guideline for Practice
Full text linkFeeding is a significant co-occupation of young children and their caregivers, unfolding in a social context. While addressing feeding challenges comprehensively because multiple contributing factors, the social-emotional dimension is often overlooked. This paper proposes a relationship-based feeding guideline to help occupational therapists incorporate this critical component. Centered on the child-caregiver dyad, the guideline prioritizes supporting the developmental, social-emotional, and environmental needs of the child. The guideline employs a biopsycho-ecological framework and family-centered approach, emphasizing caregiver training for promoting positive interaction. Actively involving caregivers and employing caregiver-child coaching facilitates the learning of developmentally appropriate feeding strategies that are then applied at home. This guideline outlines the evaluation and intervention needed for improving feeding and mealtime participation, while concurrently strengthening the caregiver-child relationship and bonding. This paper articulates assessments and indicators specific to relationship-based feeding. General and specific intervention principles focus on providing support and guidance to caregivers, addressing the child’s developmental and social-emotional needs during feeding. Practical applications for occupational therapists delineate caregiver guidance and caregiver-child coaching components of the guideline, supplemented by a case example illustrating a relationship-based feeding intervention
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