The Sensory Processing Dysfunction and Related Postnatal Environmental Factors in Preschool Aged Children in Qingdao, China

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Previous studies have shown that prenatal chemical or non-chemical exposure may contribute to the Sensory Processing Dysfunction (SPD). To date, few studies have examined the possible influence of postnatal environmental factors on the SPD. We hypothesized that the postnatal environment in early childhood might also influence the SPD. Parents or guardians of pre-school children completed questionnaires about their postnatal living environment. The sensory processing dysfunction profile was used to measure the possible SPD. Results showed girls invulnerable to the SPD in dyspraxia and visual senses with OR (95% CI) 0.42 (0.30, 0.59) and 0.64 (0.48, 0.86), respectively. Strict or let-alone or not special care style seemed averse to the sensory processing compared to generous care style. Lower frequency of floor vacuuming or cleaning indicated higher risk of SPD in vestibular and tactile sensory. Consistently, child with dirty hands usually showed higher risk of SPD in all 6 sensory except proprioceptive senses. Child living in the home having more furniture in bad materials commonly releasing more volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds indicated higher risk of SPD in vestibular or tactile sensory with OR (95% CI) 1.12 (1.00 – 1.24) and 1.16 (1.04 – 1.30), respectively. Poor gestational nutrition, taken drugs during pregnancy, and gestational passive smoking were also entered the multivariate models and showed adverse association. Our results indicate that a social environment of parental guidance and an indoor environment of exposure to chemical are associated with SPD.

The integration of sensory information from the body and the environment is essential for almost every human activity and involves the brain selecting, inhibiting, comparing, and associating sensory information. This information permits the planning and production of organized behavior. The sensory processing patterns could affect the child’s daily experiences, and consequently impact their physical growth, social-emotional development, and academic performance. Therefore, Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) are regarded as impairments of neurological process of recognizing, modulating, interpreting, and responding to sensory stimulus, and these effects can negatively affect development and functional abilities in behavioral, emotional, motoric, and cognitive domains. The aforementioned problems may affect the child’s performance in school and daily life.