Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Exhibit Atypical Gait Characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Impaired motor function in children with histories of prenatal exposure to alcohol has been previously reported but, to date, no studies using quantitatively based analyses have been performed to assess gait in these children.

METHODS: Gait of children with (n = 18) or without (n = 26) prenatal alcohol exposure was assessed using an electronically instrumented walkway. Children completed blocks of trials traversing the walkway with different combinations of walking condition (increased, self-paced, and decreased cadence) and direction (forward and backward). Gait velocity, cadence, stride length, step width, foot angle, and double support time, as well as the variability of these temporal-spatial markers, were used to assess gait.

RESULTS: Results indicated that, in comparison with typically developing children, alcohol-exposed children produced exaggerated foot angle and increased step width. Additionally, alcohol-exposed children produced greater intrasubject variability of gait velocity and walking cadence while walking forward and backward, and greater variability in step width when walking backward and for all 3 walking conditions.

CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that selected gait markers are adversely affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Clinicians and front-line personnel (e.g., teachers) should provide movement enriched experiences to help ameliorate these alcohol-related deficits.