Growth hormone combined with child-specific motor training improves motor development in infants with Prader-Willi syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.
Adding playful daily exercises to growth hormone shots helps babies with Prader-Willi syndrome hit motor milestones sooner.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Doctors gave babies with Prader-Willi syndrome growth hormone shots every day. Half the babies also got child-size physical training. The other half got only the shots.
The training was simple games that helped the babies roll, sit, and crawl. Parents did the games at home with coaching.
What they found
Babies who got both shots and training moved ahead faster. They reached motor milestones sooner than babies who only got shots.
Starting shots earlier made the gains even bigger.
How this fits with other research
Dimitropoulos et al. (2024) later showed older kids with PWS can also benefit from remote play training. Their 6- to 9-year-olds improved pretend-play skills through video calls. Together the two studies show structured practice helps PWS across ages.
Jeng et al. (2013) found kids with cerebral palsy kept fitness gains ten years after a short home exercise plan. This matches Reus et al. (2013): short, parent-led workouts can have lasting value for rare motor disorders.
Lin et al. (2012) ran a strength RCT for teens with Down syndrome. Like Reus et al. (2013), they saw large leg-strength gains after six weeks. Both papers prove brief, focused exercise works in genetic syndromes, even when drugs differ.
Why it matters
If you serve an infant with PWS, ask the medical team about early growth hormone. Then write a fun, daily motor plan parents can do in short bursts. Simple reaches, rolls, and tummy play for ten minutes after each shot can speed milestones. Coach parents on video if you can’t visit. Track skills weekly and celebrate each new move.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Although severe motor problems in infants with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are striking, motor development has never been studied longitudinally and the results of growth hormone (GH) treatment on motor development are contradictory. The authors studied whether GH treatment can enhance the effect of physical training on motor development in infants with PWS. Twenty-two infants were followed for two years during a randomized controlled trial. The treatment and control groups began GH after baseline or following a control period, respectively. Both groups followed a child-specific physical training program. Motor performance was measured every three months. Multi-level regression analysis revealed that motor development differed significantly between infants (p<.001), and this could be partially explained by baseline motor developmental level (p<.01). GH treatment enhanced the effects of child-specific physical training on both motor developmental rate and motor developmental potential. Moreover, this effect was more pronounced when GH treatment was initiated at a younger age.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.05.043