Article

Daily experiences are thought to play an important role in motor
development during infancy. There are limited studies on the effect of postural
and movement experiences on head control. The purpose of this study
was to quantify the effects of postural and movement experiences on head control
through a comprehensive set of measurements beginning when infants were 1 month
old. DESIGN: This was a prospective, longitudinal, 2-cohort study. METHODS:
Twenty-two full-term infants who were healthy were randomly assigned to either a
training group or a control group. Infants were observed every other week from 1
to 4 months of age. Head control was assessed using a standardized developmental
assessment tool, the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP), as well as
behavioral coding and kinematics of infants' head postures and movements in a
supported sitting position. Caregivers performed at least 20 minutes of daily
postural and movement activities (training group), or social interaction (control
group) for 4 weeks. RESULTS: The training group had higher TIMP scores on head
control-related items during the training period and after training stopped
compared with the control group. Starting from the during training phase, the
training group infants had their heads in a vertical and midline position longer
compared with the control group infants. After training stopped, the training
group infants actively moved their heads forward more often and for larger
distances. LIMITATIONS: The experiences outside daily training were not
monitored, and the results may be specific to the experimental setup for infants
with typical development. CONCLUSIONS: Young infants are able to take advantage
of postural and movement experiences to rapidly advance their head control as
early as 4 to 6 weeks of postnatal life. Infant positioning, caregiver handling,
and caregiver-infant interactions were likely contributing factors. This database
of comprehensive measures may be useful in future trials focused on head control
in infants with special needs.

Langue : ANGLAIS