Post-term Birth and Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Narrative Review of Motor Impairments in Children

A prevalent long-term medical condition in children that is rarely understood and acknowledged in educational contexts is developmental coordination disorder (DCD), which is one of the most prevalent conditions in school-aged children. Mild-to-severe abnormalities in muscle tone, posture, movement, and the learning of motor skills are associated with motor disorders. Early detection of developmental abnormalities in children is crucial as delayed motor milestones during infancy might indicate a delay in both physical and neurological development. To overcome the current condition of motor impairment, obstructing their risk factors is important to prevent the development of disability, which is already determined in the prenatal and perinatal period. Concerning the relationship with gestational age, the majority of the studies reported a relationship between DCD and preterm children. However, the entire range of gestational age, including post-term birth, has not been studied. The risk of developmental consequences such as cognitive impairments, major mental diseases, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and other behavioral and emotional problems increases in post-term birth, according to prior studies. Thus, this review aims to provide an overview of information linking postterm birth to children's motor impairment, with a focus on DCD. A thorough systemic review was conducted on online databases, and only a few studies were found on the association with post-term children. Insufficient evidence made it necessary to examine more post-term cohorts in adolescence to fully determine the long-term health concerns and develop therapies to mitigate the detrimental effects of postterm deliveries.