Joint mobility and motor development.
Open accessAbstract
The association of joint hypermobility and motor development was sequentially investigated in 715 infants from the ages of 8 to 14 months. Seven joints were evaluated for mobility, and each infant underwent a physical and neurological examination. Parents were given a Denver Developmental Parents' Questionnaire. All subjects with a general developmental delay, systemic illness or syndrome were excluded. The infants were classified as having normal or delayed motor development with normal or delayed joint mobility. They were re-examined six months later. Multivariate statistical techniques was used for categorical analysis, and three joints were found to be significantly associated with motor delay at the first examination--hip abduction, elbow hyperextension, and foot dorsiflexion. Of the 715 infants, 126 had joint hypermobility and of these 38 (30.2%) had motor delay. Sixty four of 589 (10.9%) with normal joints had delayed motor development. Six months later 23 out of 35 of the group with joint hypermobility and 42 out of 53 of the group with normal joints had normal motor function. Joint hypermobility is associated with an increased incidence of motor delay in infancy. Over the ensuing six months most of the subjects will catch up. These findings, indicating a favourable prognosis, have implications regarding clinical assessment and parental counselling.
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A large Swedish study from 2004 reported a prevalence of 15% in girls and 6% in boys at age 12 if current age-specific recommendations of ≥6/9 on the Beighton score were applied.
“A large Swedish study from 2004 reported a prevalence of 15% in girls and 6% in boys at the age of 12 years, if the current age-specific recommendations of ≥6/9 on the Beighton score were to be applied. 5”
From No association between joint hypermobility, musculoskeletal pain and neurodevelopmental problems in a school-based sample of 11-year-old children (2025) · cites this paper as [5]
The Patients and methods passage describes infants aged 8–14 months recruited in the Haifa area, not 12-year-olds in Sweden. The Abstract reports joint hypermobility among 715 infants, not prevalence of 15% in girls and 6% in boys under a ≥6/9 Beighton threshold. No page numbers are supplied for these passages. (LLM, conf=0.90)
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn a 2004 Swedish study of 12-year-old children, 15% of the girls would have met the criteria for GJH if the current recommended cut-off of ≥6/9 had been applied.
“In the 2004 study, 15% of the girls would have met the criteria for GJH if the current recommended cut-off of ≥6/9 had been applied. 5”
From No association between joint hypermobility, musculoskeletal pain and neurodevelopmental problems in a school-based sample of 11-year-old children (2025) · cites this paper as [5]
The Patients and methods passage describes infants aged 8–14 months recruited in the Haifa area, not 12-year-old children in a 2004 Swedish study. The Results report joint hypermobility and motor delay in infants; they do not report the claimed 15% of girls under a ≥6/9 cut-off. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHormonal changes and onset of puberty are believed to influence joint hypermobility, with an expected increase in prevalence with age among girls and a decrease among boys.
“These factors are believed to influence joint hypermobility, with an expected increase in prevalence with age among girls and a decrease among boys. 5,41”
From No association between joint hypermobility, musculoskeletal pain and neurodevelopmental problems in a school-based sample of 11-year-old children (2025) · cites this paper as [5]
The Results (page unavailable) associate joint hypermobility with younger age in infants but find no significant association with sex. The Discussion (page unavailable) likewise reports no significant sex association. A search for puberty, hormonal changes, and opposite age trends in girls and boys found no passage addressing the attributed claim. (LLM, conf=0.76)
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Cites
PERSISTENT JOINT LAXITY AND CONGENITAL DISLOCATION OF THE HIP
Carter, C., & Wilkinson, J. (1964) · The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British volume · doi:10.1302/0301-620x.46b1.40 · Cited by 590 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
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- Frankenberg WK, van Doorninck WJ, Liddell TN, et al. The Denver prescreening developmental questionnaire (PDQ). Pediatrics 1976;57:744-53.
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Russek, L. N. (1999) · Physical Therapy · doi:10.1093/ptj/79.6.591 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Baeza-Velasco, C., Pailhez, G., Bulbena, A., & Baghdadli, A. (2015) · General Hospital Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2014.10.002 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
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A connective tissue disorder may underlie ESSENCE problems in childhood
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Glans, M. R., Aziz, A., Kindgren, E., Knez, R., Landgren, M., & Landgren, V. (2025) · BJPsych Open · doi:10.1192/bjo.2025.10881
- Authors
- Jaffe, M., Tirosh, E., Cohen, A., & Taub, Y.
- Affiliations
- Haifa Medical Center (IL)
- Venue
- Archives of Disease in Childhood
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 1988-02-01
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 159-161
- ISSN
- 0003-9888 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-2044
- PMC
- PMC1778732
- OpenAlex
- W1982517049
- Cited by
- 45
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Archives of Disease in Childhood (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Connective tissue disorders research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Children's Physical and Motor Development
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Keywords
- joint hypermobility, motor development, motor delay, infants, hip abduction, elbow hyperextension, dorsiflexion, developmental prognosis, parental counseling
- MeSH terms
- Child Development, Female, Humans, Infant, Joint Instability, Male, Motor Skills, Socioeconomic Factors
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