Abstract
BackgroundThe onset of walking is thought to be an indicator of early development. However, evidence is mixed and clear data on this relationship at preschool age is missing. The study aimed at investigating if walking onset and motor and cognitive development in preschool children are related.MethodsA total of 555 children (mean age 3.86 years) of the Swiss Preschoolers’ Health Study SPLASHY were tested twice at their childcare center (at baseline and one year later). Motor skills and cognitive skills were assessed by standardized testing procedures and parents were asked to provide information on walking onset of their child.ResultsLate onset of walking was related to poorer motor skills (fine motor skills, static and dynamic balance (all p < 0.003)) and poorer cognitive skills (selective attention and visual perception (p = 0.02; p = 0.001) in late preschool age.ConclusionsFor children with late walking onset a close monitoring of their development in the regular pediatric child health visits may be reasonable.Trial registration: ISRCTN41045021.
Highlights
The onset of walking is thought to be an indicator of early development
Motor skill development was explained by means of the interplay between constraints from the task, the organism and the environment that specifies the optimal pattern of motor coordination and motor control [8]
Study sample and design The study sample consisted of 555 children of the Swiss Preschooler’s Health Study (SPLASHY), a multi-site prospective cohort study recruited in 84 childcare centers of Switzerland (ISRCTN41045021; for details see MesserliBürgy et al [16])
Summary
The onset of walking is thought to be an indicator of early development. evidence is mixed and clear data on this relationship at preschool age is missing. The study aimed at investigating if walking onset and motor and cognitive development in preschool children are related. Advanced children may be accredited to a faster development in comparison to children who start to walk late. Motor skill development was explained by means of the interplay between constraints from the task, the organism and the environment that specifies the optimal pattern of motor coordination and motor control [8]. This means for example that long legs might lead to earlier walking due to its advantage for the walking activity [9]. The amount of practice leads to a gain of stronger muscles in the legs, thereby
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