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Influences on Achieving Motor Milestones: A Twin–Singleton Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Silvia I. Brouwer*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. si.brouwer@psy.vu.nl
Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Meike Bartels
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
James J. Hudziak
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine (Division of Human Genetics), Center for Children, Youth and Families, University of Vermont, College of Medicine Burlington, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America.
Dorret I. Boomsma
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
*
*Address for correspondence: S. I. Brouwer, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Biological Psychology, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Abstract

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In order to determine if twinning impacted achievement of motor milestones the attainment of early motor milestones in twins was examined and compared to published data from singletons of the same age from the same culture and birth years. We examined the influence of twinning, sex, zygosity and birth cohort (1987–2001) on the motor development of twins aged 0 to 24 months. Data on the attainment of motor milestones (turn, sit, crawl, stand and walk) of twins were collected from maternal reports. All data were corrected for gestational age. Data from the twin sample were compared to normative data from singletons, which were available from Child Health Clinics (CHC). Analyses across twin data and the CHC singleton data revealed no differences between twins and singletons in achievement of motor milestones. Girls were able to sit without support slightly earlier than boys, otherwise there were no other sex differences. Birth-order analyses revealed minimal but significant differences in turning over from back to belly and for sitting without support between the first- and second-born. Dizygotic (DZ) twins were faster than monozygotic (MZ) twins in achieving the moment of sit, crawl, stand and walk. Twins born in earlier cohorts were faster in reaching the moment of crawl, sit and walk. It is concluded that there are no differences in time of reaching motor milestones between twins and singletons within the normal range. Sex has minimal to no effect on motor development in early childhood. DZ twins achieve motor milestones sooner than MZ twins. Attainment of gross motor milestones (crawl, stand and walk) is delayed in later birth cohorts.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006