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Postural variability and sensorimotor development in infancy
1Motor Development Lab, Department of Physical Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Richmond, Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
Insights
Newborn infants integrate sensory input with motor skills for movement and postural control. Early sensory-motor development is crucial, and atypical patterns are observed in preterm infants or those with brain injury, including cerebral palsy (CP).
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Motor control and learning
- Infant sensory processing
Background:
- Infant skill acquisition relies on integrating sensory and motor systems.
- Newborns must interpret sensory data to guide movements and postural adjustments.
- Movement variability and postural control are fundamental in early development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the use of sensory information in early infancy.
- To describe the importance of movement variability and postural control.
- To examine sensory-motor-postural interactions in typically developing infants and identify atypical patterns in high-risk infants.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing evidence on sensory information use in the first months of life.
- Analysis of studies on movement variability and postural control in infants.
- Examination of research on sensory-motor-postural system interactions in typical and atypical infant development.
Main Results:
- Infants utilize sensory information to modify motor behaviors and learn from experience.
- Evidence supports the coupling of sensory and motor systems for skill development.
- Atypical sensory, motor, and postural control patterns are evident in preterm infants, those with neonatal brain injury, or diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP).
Conclusions:
- The integration of sensory, motor, and postural control systems is vital for infant development.
- Early identification of atypical sensory-motor patterns can inform interventions for at-risk infants.
- Understanding these interactions is key for supporting healthy motor development and managing conditions like cerebral palsy.
Abstract:
Infants develop skills through a coupling between their sensory and motor systems. Newborn infants must interpret sensory information and use it to modify movements and organize the postural control system based on the task demands. This paper starts with a brief review of evidence on the use of sensory information in the first months of life, and describes the importance of movement variability and postural control in infancy. This introduction is followed by a review of the evidence for the interactions between the sensory, motor, and postural control systems in typically development infants. The paper highlights the ability of young infants to use sensory information to modify motor behaviors and learn from their experiences. Last, the paper highlights evidence of atypical use of sensory, motor, and postural control in the first months of life in infants who were born preterm, with neonatal brain injury or later diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP).
