Association Between Physical and Motor Development in Childhood: A Longitudinal Study of Japanese Twins

Abstract

Length and weight in infancy are associated with neurodevelopment, but less is known about growth in other anthropometric measures. In this study we analyzed how the development in length, weight, head circumference, and chest circumference over infancy is associated with motor development in early childhood, using a twin study design. Information on physical development over infancy and the age at achievement of eight developmental milestones over early childhood was collected for 370 Japanese twin pairs. Linear mixed models were used to analyze how physical development is associated with motor development between individual twins, as well as within twin pairs, adjusting the results for shared maternal and postnatal environmental factors. Delayed motor development was associated with smaller body size over infancy, and we also found some suggestive evidence that it was associated with catch-up growth as well. When studying the associations within twin pairs discordant for motor development, similar associations were found. However, chest circumference showed the most robust association within discordant twin pairs. Smaller body size and rapid catch-up growth are associated with delayed motor development. When studying these associations within twin pairs and thus adjusting the results for gestational age as well as many other maternal and postnatal environmental factors, chest circumference showed the most robust association. Chest circumference, rarely used in developed countries, can offer additional information on prenatal conditions relevant for further motor development not achieved by more traditional anthropometric measures.

The Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR): 15 Years of Twin and Family Research

“…We have also begun to reassess the younger twins roughly 5 years after their original participation (current N ~800 pairs). The brief questionnaire completed as part of participation in the MTP can be used to immediately generate new knowledge (Burt & Klump, 2012; Racine et al, 2014), and indeed is included as part of the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical, also described in this issue (Silventoinen et al, 2019). That said, the primary purpose of the MTP is to serve as a world-class ‘participant bank’ from which researchers can identify and recruit subsamples of twins and their families for genetically and environmentally informed research.…”

Physical growth and intelligence development of discordant dizygotic twins from birth to preschool age: a prospective cohort study

“…Birth weight growth discordance of ≥20% confers an independent adverse effect on the long-term neurodevelopment of the smaller twin. According to the results of multiple linear regression analysis on psychomotor development, we proposed that delayed psychomotor development was associated with small body size during infancy, as described previously by Silventoinen K et al [ 22 ] In addition, Halling C et al [ 23 ] considered birth weight growth as an independent adverse effect on the long-term neurodevelopment and demonstrated a negative impact of growth discordance on the smaller twin at the age of 2.5 years across all three domains of development: motor, language, and cognition. We suggested discordant twins should be tested with BSID routinely at one year old, so as to give access to early clinical intervention for the smaller infants with psychomotor retardation.…”

Association of maternal depression with dietary intake, growth, and development of preterm infants: a cohort study in Beijing, China

“…In the present study, both maternal depression and preterm births were found to be associated with delayed motor development. A previous study [36]suggested that delayed gross motor development was associated with smaller body sizes throughout infancy (i.e., poor 'catch-up' growth) and that nutrition is the material basis for infant growth and development. Our study indicated that both maternal depression and preterm births were associated with the nutrition of infants.…”