Trophic limb changes among children with developmental apraxia.

Measurements were made of the hands and feet of 16 children with developmental apraxia and of 16 control children, matched for age and sex. Pathological limb asymmetry was found in seven of the clumsy children and in only two of the controls. Pathological asymmetry of the feet was found exclusively among the clumsy children, and occurred more frequently than asymmetry of the hands. The incidence did not appear to be influenced by sex. The importance of pathological asymmetry of the limbs, and especially the feet, is that it may be a pointer to underlying neurological disorder. Such asymmetries should be specifically looked for among children with apraxia: if found, they call for more detailed neurological assessment.