From the reaching behavior at 5 months of age to hand preference at preschool age.

The aim of the study was to examine the reaching behavior at the age of 5 months, and to determine whether and to what extent there is a relationship between hand use at this age and manual laterality at preschool age. 20 participants (13 girls and 7 boys) were investigated on two occasions: At the age of 5 months we assessed the hand use for reaching for four different objects placed at the infant's body midline or in their right or left hemispaces, respectively. At the age of 5 years and 7 months, we assessed the hand use for 22 motor tasks.

A longitudinal study on hand use while building a tower.

The aim of the study was to describe a developmental trend of hand use for picking up and stacking blocks from the age of 18 months to 7 years. A second aim was to determine whether there is a relationship between right-hand use while building a tower and manual laterality at school age. A total of 28 children were asked to build a tower at five longitudinal assessments.

Events at early development: are they associated with early word production and neurodevelopmental abilities at the preschool age?

Background: Obstetrical and neonatal complications and/or an adverse parenting environment are risk factors for language impairment, but little is known about their effects on early word production (late talking).

Aims: To determine obstetrical and neonatal risk factors in children with delayed word production; to assess the influence of the parenting environment on word production; to determine whether the toddler's vocabulary competence is related to his/her social competence; to document the neurodevelopmental outcome at the late preschool age.

Study Design: Prospective follow-up study.

Development of manipulative hand movements during the second year of life.

Background: Developmental testing in children is concerned mainly with a pass or fail on tasks such as grasping, manipulating and inserting. Knowledge about the qualitative development of hand movements in young children is scarce.

Aim: We studied the qualitative development of manipulative hand movements in 14-, 18- and 25-month-olds.