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Breathing frequency changes at the onset of stepping in human infants

J Adam Noah1, Carol Boliek, Tania Lam

  • 1Department of Physical Therapy, Centre for Neuroscience, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Journal of Neurophysiology
|January 11, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Human infants adjust breathing rate when stepping. Breathing frequency decreases with slower stepping and increases with faster stepping, showing a functional link between infant movement and respiration.

Area of Science:

  • Human infant physiology
  • Developmental biomechanics
  • Respiratory regulation

Background:

  • Breathing rate increases with movement onset in mammals.
  • The magnitude of breathing increase often correlates with movement rhythmicity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if human infants exhibit similar breathing responses to stepping on a treadmill.
  • To determine the relationship between infant stepping frequency and breathing frequency.

Main Methods:

  • Twenty infants (9.7 ± 1.2 months) underwent trials involving sitting and stepping on a treadmill.
  • Breathing frequency was measured using a thermocouple under the naris.
  • Stepping movements were captured using video, electrogoniometers, and force platforms.

Main Results:

  • Infant breathing rate changed significantly at the onset of stepping.
  • Breathing frequency decreased when infants stepped slower than their resting rate.
  • Average breathing frequency during stepping positively correlated with stepping frequency.
  • No evidence of respiratory-stepping entrainment was observed.

Conclusions:

  • Infant breathing frequency adjustment at movement onset is functional.
  • The direction and magnitude of breathing changes are associated with infant leg movement patterns.

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