[How does a child modulate his progression speed during the first 18 months of independent gait?]

Our results clearly suggest that during the 18 months following onset of independent walking, toddlers undergo a two-stage development process. Firstly, up to the sixth month of independent walking, there is a striking evolution of all the gait parameters analysed here. The correlation between velocity and length of steps is highly significant. Those data lead to interpret early walking as a process of "integration" of postural constraints to the dynamic necessity of gait movements. In the second stage, velocity becomes highly correlated with foot's frequency. It appears to be more of a turning phase of all the gait components.