Effects of socioeconomic status on very low birth weight children’s fine and gross motor skills

Very low birth weight is associated with impaired physical and cognitive growth and developmental disabilities. On the other hand, this phenomenon has the potential to impact on the development of motor skills and is influenced by biological and environmental factors before and after birth. So This study aimed to evaluate the effects of socioeconomic status and birth weight on very low birth weight children’s fine and gross motor skills. The present study was a cross-sectional research which conducted in April and May of 2111 and the study population included 4/5 to 1-year-old boys and girls with very low birth weight from 2 and 11 districts of Tehran city that from which 15 children were selected via an equal population sampling. In order to assess the motor development, the Bruininks -Oseretsky -2 test was used and for socio-economic status, socio-economic questionnaire and districts ranking of Tehran were used and the data were analyzed using Independent t-test.
Results showed that The average fine (14/54) and gross (2/12) motor skills of children with low socioeconomic status was lower than those with high socio-economic status (Fine=11/11, Gross=14/53). In generally high socio-economic status has the capability of adjustment the negative effects of low birth weight on fine and gross motor development. Thus the emphasis on the role of socioeconomic status on health of children with very low birth weight is important.