Relationship between birth weight and perceptual motor performance in children

Lee AM

1977

Hong Kong

A perceptual-motor performance test (jumping, skipping, balancing, walking) was administered to 150 five and six year old children catagorised according to birth weight. Differences were found among the three birth weight groups, with children of low birth weight scoring significantly lower than the groups of medium and high birth weight. A substantial positive correlation of 0.75 was obtained between birth weight and perceptual-motor performance.

As in many studies relating a condition to birth size, birth order has not been taken into consideration. Yet birth order is the best known single factor influencing birth weight. For example according to a British calcu! lation the average difference in birth weight between first born and second born children is 138 grams. (see Odent M., Tsujino J., Studies exploring health in relation to intrauterine life should look at birth order, BMJ 1997; 314:1416).