Parental, Prenatal, and Neonatal Associations With Ball Skills at Age 8 Using an Exposome Approach. (October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Golding, Jean; Gregory, Steven; Iles-Caven, Yasmin; Lingam, Raghu; Davis, John M.; Emmett, Pauline; Steer, Colin D.; Hibbeln, Joseph R.
• Is Part Of: Journal of child neurology. Volume 29:Number 10(2014:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1390
• Page End: 1398
• Publication Date: 2014-10
• Subjects: ALSPAC -- ball skills -- motor coordination -- maternal environmental background -- exposome; Nervous system -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.928
• DOI: 10.1177/0883073814530501
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0883-0738

Abstract

There is little consistency in the literature concerning factors that influence motor coordination in children. A hypothesis-free "exposome" approach was used with 7359 children using longitudinal information covering 3 generations in regard to throwing a ball accurately at age 7 years. The analyses showed an independent robust negative association with mother's unhappiness in her midchildhood (6-11 years). No such association was present for study fathers. The offspring of parents who described themselves as having poor eyesight had poorer ability. This hypothesis-free approach has identified a strong negative association with an unhappy childhood. Future studies of this cohort will be used to determine whether the mechanism is manifest through differing parenting skills, or a biological mechanism reflecting epigenetic effects.