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Early development of head movements between birth and 4 months of age: a longitudinal study

Carolina Daniel de Lima-Alvarez1, Eloisa Tudella, John van der Kamp

  • 1a NENEM, Department of Physiotherapy , University Federal of São Carlos , Brazil.

Journal of Motor Behavior
|September 11, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Infant head control develops significantly between birth and 4 months. Beyond 2 months, infants show more midline head posture and increased head movement, indicating improved motor skills and controlled movements.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental motor control
  • Infant kinematics
  • Pediatric neurology

Background:

  • Head posture and movement are crucial for early motor skill development.
  • Detailed kinematic studies of infant head movement development are scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To longitudinally chart the development of head posture and movement in infants.
  • To analyze kinematic changes in head control from birth to 4 months during visual tracking.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study involving 18 infants from birth to 4 months.
  • Kinematic analysis of head posture and movement during visual object tracking.

Main Results:

  • Infants increasingly held their heads at the body midline after 2 months.
  • Head movement quantity, extent, and speed increased significantly.
  • Head movements organized into units, with changes in number and duration after 3 months.

Conclusions:

  • Head control demonstrates significant development between birth and 4 months.
  • Increased midline head posture and organized, controlled movements emerge after 3 months.
  • Findings provide kinematic insights into early motor development.

Keywords:
developmenthead controlhead postureinfantskinematics

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