title: Infant and child motor development.
abstract: Identifying infant and child developmental delay is a skill important for orthopaedic surgeons to master because they often are asked to distinguish between normal and abnormal movement. An emphasis has been placed on early detection and referral for intervention, which has been shown to enhance the lives of the infant or child and his or her family. Appropriate recognition of delay is necessary for referral to early intervention services, which serve to help these children overcome or improve motor dysfunction and to help families grow more confident in caring for children with special needs. We define early intervention, discuss normal and abnormal motor development, and provide useful examination tools to assess motor development.
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Sara L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sarwark
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome