BackgroundGiven that environmental factors, such as the school environment, can influence child development, more attention should be paid to the development of children attending day care centers. ObjectiveTodetermine whether there are differences in the gross motor, fine motor, or cognitive performances of children between 1 and3 years-old of similar socioeconomic status attending public and private day care centers full time. MethodParticipants were divided into 2 groups, 1 of children attending public day care centers (69 children) and another of children attending private day care centers (47 children). All children were healthy and regularly attended day care full time for over 4 months. To assess cognitive, gross and fine motor performance, the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III was used. The Mann-Whitney test was used for comparative analyses between groups of children between 13 and 24 months, 25 and 41 months, and 13 and 41 months. ResultsChildren in public day care centers exhibited lower scores on the cognitive development scale beginning at 13 months old. The fine and gross motor performance scores were lower in children over the age of 25 months attending public centers. Maternal education was not related to the performance of children in either group. ConclusionThe scores of cognitive performance as well as fine and gross motor performance of children of similar socioeconomic status who attend public day care centers are lower than children attending private daycare centers.

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Background Gait Initiation (GI) is a functional task that challenges the balance control requiring weight shift and a transition from standing to walking. Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) walk with low velocity, prolonged stance and shorter steps beside an increased support base. However, no studies performed GI analysis on this population. The aim of this study is to quantitatively characterize the GI task in subjects with DS compared with a typically developed control group. Methods Seventeen individuals with DS (17 to 40 years) and 19 healthy subjects (17 to 40 years) were enrolled in the study. Data were acquired using an optoelectronic motion capture system and force plates in order to measure the displacement and velocity of Center of Mass (CoM) and the trajectory of Center Of Pressure (CoP). All participants were asked to stand barefoot on the first force platform and received a verbal cue to begin walking for 6 gait initiation trials (three starting with each foot). The CoP duration, velocity, length and excursion were calculated during the anticipatory postural adjustments phases (APAs) and the locomotor (LOC) phase. For the analysis of the CoM, its displacements in antero-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) during the APAs and LOC phases. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the two groups. Results Regarding CoP measures, when compared to control group, individuals with DS presented higher durations, lower velocities, longer lengths during the second APA and total phases, and shorter lengths during the first APA and LOC phases. The group with DS also presented longer CoP excursion during the second APA, whereas a shorter excursion was present during the first APA and LOC phases. The AP excursion in CoM is reduced in the participants with DS. Conclusions Our results could be useful in the rehabilitation of individuals with DS as they suggest to reinforce exercise programs to improve balance in AP and ML directions, which is demonstrated to be impaired in these subjects.

The TIS is able to differentiate levels of trunk control across various levels of motor impairments in CP. It is a valid tool to assess trunk control, showing very high concurrent validity with the GMFM sitting dimension. Implications for Rehabilitation Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) can be used by rehabilitation professionals to differentiate levels of trunk control across levels of motor impairment. TIS showed concurrent validity with Gross Motor Function Measure and should be used to assess trunk control in children with cerebral palsy (CP) in clinical settings. The use of TIS allows a reliable assessment of postural control in children with CP in clinical settings.