The way children walk or their gait is a complex, unconscious motor pattern that could tell a doctor a lot about the health and development of kids. It is composed of a sequence of movements that involve the hip, knee, and foot, but the transition from the tottering of toddlers to the strutting of teenagers is not as universal as most people think.

From a medical perspective, a person's gait can show their health status and quality of life. That is why researchers seek to understand how could the mechanism behind gait help in treating people with problems in movement.

Children Have Different Gaits Depending on Where They Live

According to Science Alert, a child's gait could depend on where they live in the world as they mature in a slightly different way. For instance, most studies suggest that a 7-year-old's distance and timing of walking match the consistency of adult walking regardless of where they live.

But at the same time, some studies found fluctuations in the strides of older children that may persist as long as their lanky lower limbs continue to grow, right until they become teenagers when they can be influenced by culture.

Another example is those elementary school-aged children in South Africa who already show mature angle off hip rotation when they walk. But children in France develop a similar mature hip only until they reach the age of 12.

In Mexico, studies show that childhood gait decrease in steps and strides as a child grows up. However, their cadence of steps remains the same even after the age of seven.

Meanwhile, Japanese children have a different kind of development. A new study, titled "Three-Dimensional Gait Analysis of Lower Extremity Gait Parameters in Japanese Children Aged 6 to 12 Years" published in Scientific Reports, found that children in Japan do not show a significant change in their hip rotation movements as they grow up.

Researchers found that children closer to age 12 had greater ankle power than younger kids. Also, six, seven, and eight-year-olds have smaller strides and cadence

Japanese Children Walk Differently From Kids in Other Countries, Study Reveals
(Photo : Unsplash/Note Thanun)
Japanese Children Walk Differently From Kids in Other Countries, Study Reveals

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Determining the Normative Gait in Japanese Children

According to a news release, the data on age-related gait parameters in Japan is limited so a group of researchers from Nagoya University and the Aichi Prefectural Mikawa Aoitori Medical and Rehabilitation Center for Developmental Disabilities conducted a study to determine the normative gait pattern of children in Japan.

The group investigated age-related differences in the lower limb movements while walking using a 3D gait analysis system. They noted that the gait patterns of Japanese children aged 6 to 12 are similar to other children in developed countries but their development is different.

Dr. Tadashi Ito and his team found four critical differences among age groups:

  • Children 11-12 years old have an increased cadence or number of footsteps per minute than 6 to 8 years old.
  • Children 11-12 years old have decreased step and stride length than those 9 to 10 years old
  • Children 11-12 years old had less range of motion of the knee during a gait cycle.
  • The older a child gets, the higher the plantarflexion moment was observed. Plantarflexion is the force generated by the point of the toes at the start of walking.

He said that differences in lifestyle, build, and cultural factors all affect Japanese children's gait and are not likely to affect their health. However, it indicates characteristics different from kids in other countries. 

The findings provide an important tool for assessing what a normal gait is to help in determining the effective orthopedic treatment and rehabilitation for movement disorders.

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