title: The effect of subclinical infantile thiamine deficiency on motor function in preschool children.
abstract: We investigated the long-term implications of infantile thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency on motor function in preschoolers who had been fed during the first 2 years of life with a faulty milk substitute. In this retrospective cohort study, 39 children aged 5-6 years who had been exposed to a thiamine-deficient formula during infancy were compared with 30 age-matched healthy children with unremarkable infant nutritional history. The motor function of the participants was evaluated with The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC) and the Zuk Assessment. Both evaluation tools revealed statistically significant differences between the exposed and unexposed groups for gross and fine motor development (p < .001, ball skills p = .01) and grapho-motor development (p = .004). The differences were especially noteworthy on M-ABC testing for balance control functioning (p < .001, OR 5.4; 95% CI 3.4-7.4) and fine motor skills (p < .001, OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.8-4.6). In the exposed group, both assessments concurred on the high rate of children exhibiting motor function difficulties in comparison to unexposed group (M-ABC: 56% vs. 10%, Zuk Assessment: 59% vs. 3%, p < .001). Thiamine deficiency in infancy has long-term implications on gross and fine motor function and balance skills in childhood, thiamine having a crucial role in normal motor development. The study emphasizes the importance of proper infant feeding and regulatory control of breast milk substitutes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harel
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Luba
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zuk
authors.affiliation: Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guindy
authors.affiliation: Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Orly
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nakar
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center & Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Dafna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lotan
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurology Unit, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center & Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Aviva
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fattal-Valevski
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000737:chemistry; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D009048:Motor Skills; D004856:Postural Balance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013831:Thiamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D013832:Thiamine Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D013831:Thiamine
keywords: balance skills; infant nutrition; motor difficulties; preschool children; thiamin; thiamine deficiency