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  • Clinical Research Article
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Caregiver-reported newborn term and preterm motor abilities: psychometrics of the PediaTracTM Motor domain

Pediatric Research volume 93, pages 1736–1744 (2023)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Approximately 5–10% of children exhibit developmental deviations in motor skills or other domains; however, physicians detect less than one-third of these abnormalities. Systematic tracking and early identification of motor deviations are fundamental for timely intervention.

Methods

Term and preterm neonates were prospectively assessed at the newborn (NB) period in a study of the psychometric properties of the Motor (MOT) domain of PediaTracTM v3.0, a novel caregiver-based development tracking instrument. Item response theory graded response modeling was used to model item parameters and estimate theta, an index of the latent trait, motor ability. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to examine the dimensionality and factor structure.

Results

In a cohort of 571 caregiver/infant dyads (331 term, 240 preterm), NB MOT domain reliability was high (rho = 0.94). Item discrimination and item difficulty of each of the 15 items could be reliably modeled across the range of motor ability. EFA confirmed that the items constituted a single dimension with second-order factors, accounting for 43.20% of variance.

Conclusions

The latent trait, motor ability, could be reliably estimated at the NB period.

Impact

  • The caregiver-reported Motor domain of PediaTrac provides a reliable estimate of the latent trait of motor ability during the newborn period.

  • This is the first known caregiver-reported instrument that can assess motor ability in the newborn period with high reliability in term and preterm infants.

  • Item response theory methods were employed that will allow for future characterization of developmental subgroups and motor trajectories.

  • The PediaTrac Motor domain can support early identification of at-risk infants.

  • Including caregivers in digital reporting and child-centered monitoring of motor functioning may improve access to care.

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Fig. 1: Test information curve and reliability curve for the PediaTrac newborn Motor domain.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available yet as this is a longitudinal investigation that is still underway. Upon completion of the longitudinal investigation, the datasets generated during this study will be deposited into the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR).

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Acknowledgements

The investigators express their sincere gratitude to caregivers who participated in the PediaTrac project. We would like to acknowledge the Corner Health Center for their support in helping recruit those with the greatest need.

Funding

This study was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number (R01HD095957). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Efforts of S.W. were also supported in part by the Mildred E. Swanson Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA

    Renee Lajiness-O’Neill, Angela D. Staples, Casey Swick, Samantha Goldstein, Michelle Lobermeier, Amanda Hicks & Jennifer Cano

  2. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Renee Lajiness-O’Neill, Jennifer C. Gidley Larson, Seth Warschausky, Shannon Franz, Najae Dixon & Kirsten Oard

  3. Institute for Social Research and the School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Trivellore Raghunathan & Patricia Berglund

  4. Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Alissa Huth-Bocks, Lesa Dieter, Jazmine Kirkland, Yanisa Robbins & Emily Gorjanc

  5. Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    H. Gerry Taylor

  6. Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA

    Judith Brooks

  7. Nursing, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA

    Angela Lukomski

Authors
  1. Renee Lajiness-O’Neill
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  7. Judith Brooks
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Consortia

PediaTrac Project Consortium

  • Casey Swick
  • , Samantha Goldstein
  • , Michelle Lobermeier
  • , Amanda Hicks
  • , Jennifer Cano
  • , Shannon Franz
  • , Najae Dixon
  • , Kirsten Oard
  • , Lesa Dieter
  • , Jazmine Kirkland
  • , Yanisa Robbins
  •  & Emily Gorjanc

Contributions

Conception and design of the study: R.L.-O., T.R., S.W., P.B., A.H.-B., H.G.T., J.C.G.L., J.B., and A.L. Acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data: T.R., P.B., A.D.S., J.C.G.L., R.L.-O., S.W., A.H.-B., and H.G.T.. Drafting and revising the manuscript (original): R.L.-O., T.R., P.B., S.W., A.H.-B., H.G.T., A.S., and J.C.G.L. Final approval: R.L.-O., T.R., P.B., A.H.-B., H.G.T., A.S., J.B., A.L., J.C.G.L., and S.W.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renee Lajiness-O’Neill.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Participant consent was required, with the study approved by the University of Michigan IRB of Record (HUM00151584).

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Lajiness-O’Neill, R., Raghunathan, T., Berglund, P. et al. Caregiver-reported newborn term and preterm motor abilities: psychometrics of the PediaTracTM Motor domain. Pediatr Res 93, 1736–1744 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-022-02312-4

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