Abstract
The course of acquisition of various gross motor skills and changes in their patterns
with advancing age, in addition to joint contracture, hand function, and mental ability,
were investigated in 20 non-ambulatory children with spastic diplegia and periventricular
leukomalacia. Among the diplegic children studied, those with lower locomotive ability
also had lower hand function, lower mental ability and slower acquisition of gross
motor skills. All subjects could roll by 24 months of age. Fourteen patients could
creep by 18 months of age, and the remaining six by 30 months. Crawling was observed
in only five patients with mild locomotive disability as a final locomotive pattern
on the floor. Among ten patients with mild locomotive disability, three could sit
by 2 years of age, six by 3 years, and one by 4 years. Among ten patients with severe
disability, two, two, four and two children could sit at the ages of 2, 3, 4 and 5
years, respectively. Twelve patients could walk with support at between 2 and 5 years
of age. Delay in acquisition of creeping or sitting differed somewhat among subjects
with similar final locomotive disability. The majority of subjects with severe locomotive
disability developed contracture of the hips and knees. Only two patients with mild
disability had contracture of the ankles.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 28,
2001
Received in revised form:
April 20,
2001
Received:
March 2,
2001
Identification
Copyright
© 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
