When children are late in reaching developmental milestones such as sitting, standing, walking, or talking, it may reflect an underlying developmental issue. One such condition is developmental coordination disorder (DCD), in which there is poor coordination between a child’s intentions and the body’s ability to carry them out. For example, a child with DCD may understand how to tie shoes, but the brain does not effectively transmit those instructions to the hands and feet. Similar difficulties can occur with running, jumping, writing, buttoning clothes, or other everyday tasks that most people perform automatically. Children with DCD generally have normal intelligence, but because of their motor difficulties, the condition has sometimes been referred to as “clumsy child syndrome,” which can lead others to mistakenly assume the child is less capable. This misunderstanding can be frustrating and embarrassing, and may contribute to low self-esteem and social isolation. Although DCD is usually identified in childhood, its effects often continue into adulthood.
A randomized, placebo-controlled study published in Pediatrics (2005; 115(5):1360–1366) examined the effects of essential fatty acid supplementation in 117 children aged 5 to 12 with developmental coordination disorder. The children were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or a supplement containing a combination of evening primrose oil and fish oil, providing both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. After three months, the children receiving the fatty acid supplement showed significant improvements in reading, spelling, and behavior compared with the placebo group. During a second three-month phase, the children who had originally received placebo were switched to the supplement and experienced improvements similar to those seen in the original treatment group.
