Motor skills of 5-year-old children who underwent early cardiac surgery

Abstract

Aims To describe the motor proficiency of 5-year-old children who underwent early infant cardiac surgery and had atypical infant gross motor development. To identify risk factors for motor dysfunction at 5 years of age. Methods A total of 33 children (80.5% participation rate) were re-assessed by a physiotherapist blinded to the diagnosis and previous clinical course, using standardised motor assessment tools. Results Motor proficiency was categorised as below average or well below average in 41% of the study patients. Approximately 30% of the cohort had balance deficits. Motor abilities at 4 months and 2 years of age were associated with motor proficiency at age 5; however, atypical motor d..