Back-carrying in children is related to lower limb development
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Date
Authors
Van Aswegen, Mariaan
Czyz, Stanisław H.
Moss, Sarah J.
Steffens, Francois E.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI
Abstract
Back-carrying of children is a culturally accepted method of transport and safekeeping of
babies in many cultures. Developmental consequences related to back-carrying practices have not
been directly investigated. This study determined the relationship between frontal and transverse
plane lower limb (LL) development, and back-carrying practices, in black Setswana-speaking children.
In 691 2- to 9-year-old Setswana-speaking children, the tibiofemoral angle, intermalleolar distance,
femoral anteversion angle (AVA) and tibial torsion angle (TTA), were measured to determine LL
development. Back-carrying practices were recorded with a questionnaire and Classification and
Regression Tree (CART) was used for the analyses. Significant (p < 0.001) relationships, between
back-carrying practices and LL development, were discovered. Statistically significant greater genu
valgum (F(5, 690) = 7.2, p < 0.001), greater internal TTAs (F(9, 684) = 17.8, p < 0.001), and smaller
AVAs (F(13, 685) = 5.1, p < 0.001) were observed in children back-carried more frequently than
children back-carried less frequently. There are relationships between back-carrying practices and
LL development in both the frontal and transverse plane. However, the genu valgum, internal TTA
and smaller AVA noted in more frequently back-carried children is still within normal limits, thus
no educational intervention in back-carrying methods or durations is required. Further research
should determine the exact back-carrying practice factors (age until which the child is back-carried)
impacting lower limb development the greatest.
Description
This is a part of the Ph.D. thesis of Mariaan van Aswegen at North-West University,
Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
Keywords
Back-carrying;, Lower limb development, Tibiofemoral angle, Setswana children, Tibial torsion angle (TTA), Intermalleolar distance, Femoral anteversion angle (AVA)
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
van Aswegen, M.; Czyz,˙
S.H.; Moss, S.J.; Steffens, F.
Back-Carrying in Children Is Related
to Lower Limb Development.
Children 2022, 9, 263. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9020263.