Do visual impairments affect risk of motor problems in preterm and term low birth weight adolescents?
BACKGROUND
Increased prevalence of motor and visual problems has been reported in low birth weight populations, but the association between them is less studied.


OBJECTIVE
To examine how visual impairments may be associated with the increased risk of motor problems in low birth weight adolescents.


METHODS
Fifty-one very low birth weight adolescents (VLBW), 56 term small for gestational age (SGA) and 75 term control adolescents, without cerebral palsy, were examined at the age of 14. Motor skills were examined by the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Visual functions included visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, nystagmus, strabismus, stereoacuity, accommodation, convergence and visual perception (Visual-Motor Integration test). An abnormality score was calculated as the sum of visual impairments. We used odds ratio as an estimate of the relative risk of having motor problems.


RESULTS
The odds of having motor problems were 10.4 (95% CI: 2.2-49.4) in the VLBW group and 5.1 (95% CI: 1.0-25.8) in the SGA group compared with the control group. The odds of having motor problems in the VLBW group were influenced by all visual variables, and most by visual acuity, when we adjusted for these separately. The greatest reduction in OR was found when adjusting for the abnormality score (adjusted OR: 6.8; 95% CI: 1.3-34.5). In the SGA group the odds of having motor problems were relatively unaffected by the visual variables and the abnormality score.


CONCLUSIONS
Visual impairments influence motor problems in VLBW adolescents, whereas motor problems in SGA adolescents seem to be unaffected by visual impairments.
Evensen
Kari Anne I
KA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. karianne.i.evensen@ntnu.no
Lindqvist
Susanne
S
Indredavik
Marit S
MS
Skranes
Jon
J
Brubakk
Ann-Mari
AM
Vik
Torstein
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000503:physiopathology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*