The association between nutritional status and motor development in children under five years old
Abstract
Background Severe malnutrition in children is closely related todelayed physical growth and mental development. Very few re-
ports mention the effects of mild to moderate malnutrition on mo-
tor development.
Objective The objective of this study was to determine the rela-
tionship between nutritional status and motor development in early
childhood.
Methods In this cross-sectional study, we examined body weight
of children under 5 years of age, the ability to sit or walk without
support, and parachute sign in those under 2 years of age who
came to community child health surveillance posts in Tuminting
Subdistrict, Manado, Indonesia.
Results Among 359 under-five children, 296 were well-nourished
and 63 had mild to moderate malnutrition. The ability to sit without
support in malnourished children was significantly delayed com-
pared to that in well-nourished ones (P=0.03). The ability to walk
without support and parachute sign were not significantly different
between the two groups.
Conclusion The ability to sit without support in children with mild
to moderate malnutrition is delayed compared to that in well-nour-
ished ones
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Accepted 2016-10-06
Published 2016-10-10