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[Relationship between the prone position and achieving head control at 3 months]
J L Pérez-Machado1, G Rodríguez-Fuentes
1Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
Insights
Supervised awake prone positioning significantly improves infant head control by three months. This method enhances motor development, with all infants in the study achieving head control.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Motor Development
Background:
- Increasing prevalence of mild motor delays in infants.
- Infant intolerance to traditional prone positioning.
- Need for effective strategies to improve head control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of awake prone positioning on infant head control at three months.
- To assess the quality of head control achieved through this intervention.
Main Methods:
- Prospective comparative study of 67 healthy infants.
- Experimental group received regular home visits for awake prone positioning guidance.
- Control group did not receive specific intervention.
- Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and parent questionnaire used for assessment.
Main Results:
- Experimental group achieved significantly higher AIMS raw scores (16.26) compared to the control group (10.38) (P<.001).
- Mean percentile score was 94% for the experimental group versus 42% for the control group.
- 100% of infants in the experimental group achieved head control, versus 25% in the control group.
Conclusions:
- Awake prone positioning demonstrates a direct positive relationship with the achievement of head control in infants by three months.
- This intervention is effective in improving early motor skills.
- Suggests a practical, home-based strategy for enhancing infant motor development.
Introduction:
Owing to the significant increase of mild motor delays and the strong intolerance of infants to be placed on prone position observed in the Physiotherapy Unit of the Maternal and Children's University Hospital of the Canaries (HUMIC), a study was conducted to determine whether positioning infants in the prone position while awake affected the achievement and quality of head control at three months.
Patients And Methods:
A prospective comparative practice-based study of a representative sample of 67 healthy infants born in the HUMIC, and divided into an experimental group (n = 35) and control group (n = 32). The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and a parent questionnaire were used as measurement tools. The intervention consisted of regular home visits to the experimental group (from the first to the third month). The two groups were evaluated in their homes at the end of 3 months.
Results:
The differences in mean raw score of the AIMS at 3 months were, 16.26 in the experimental group and 10.38 in control group (P<.001). The percentile mean was 94 in the experimental group, and less than 50 (42) in the control group. All of the experimental group babies achieved the head control, with only 8 in the control group (25%).
Conclusions:
The significant findings suggest a direct relationship between the time spent in the prone position when the baby is awake and the achievement of head control at three months.
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