Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Postural reactions in infants with Down syndrome. Relationship to motor milestone development and age

S M Haley

    Physical Therapy
    |January 1, 1986
    PubMed

    Insights

    Infants with Down syndrome show delayed development of automatic postural reactions, but the link between these reactions and motor milestones remains similar to typically developing infants. Early intervention focusing on postural reactions can enhance motor development.

    Area of Science:

    • Developmental Pediatrics
    • Neuroscience
    • Rehabilitation Science

    Background:

    • Automatic postural reactions are crucial for motor development.
    • Understanding their emergence in infants with Down syndrome is vital for targeted interventions.
    • Developmental trajectories of postural control can differ in atypical development.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the development of automatic postural reactions in infants with Down syndrome.
    • To compare the emergence of these reactions with a developmentally matched group of non-handicapped infants.
    • To assess the relationship between postural reactions, chronological age, and motor milestone development.

    Main Methods:

    • Longitudinal assessment of automatic postural reactions (righting, equilibrium, protective reactions).
    • Utilized the Bayley Scales of Infant Development to measure motor milestones.
    • Employed regression analysis to examine developmental rates and associations.

    Main Results:

    • The relationship between postural reactions and chronological age was weaker in infants with Down syndrome.
    • A slower rate of postural reaction development was observed in infants with Down syndrome from approximately five months of age.
    • The association between postural reactions and motor milestone performance was similar across both groups.

    Conclusions:

    • Despite differing rates of development, the connection between postural reactions and motor milestones is consistent in both typical and delayed development.
    • These findings support interventions aimed at facilitating postural reactions to improve motor milestone achievement in infants with Down syndrome.
    • Early focus on postural control can be a key strategy in enhancing overall motor development for infants with Down syndrome.

    More Related Videos

    A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy10:02

    A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy

    Published on: November 3, 2016

    Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable09:24

    Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable

    Published on: May 17, 2024

    Related Concept Videos

    Introduction to Developmental Psychology01:27

    Introduction to Developmental Psychology

    Developmental psychology explores the changes and continuities in human abilities throughout life, encompassing physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social dimensions. Human development is not restricted to growth, but includes aspects of decline, particularly in physical abilities as individuals age. Developmental psychologists seek to understand how people change as they age and how their mental and social skills evolve.Developmental MilestonesA key concept in developmental psychology is...
    Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

    Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

    The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
    Exploration...
    Alterations in Muscle Tone ll01:12

    Alterations in Muscle Tone ll

    Alterations in muscle tone are common manifestations of neurological disorders and reflect dysfunction within different nervous system regions. Spasticity, paratonia, and dystonia represent distinct forms of hypertonia, each with unique mechanisms, clinical features, and diagnostic importance.CharacteristicsSpasticity happens from upper motor neuron lesions and is characterized by velocity-dependent resistance to passive movement. Clinical features include:Exaggerated deep tendon reflexesClonus...
    Alterations in Muscle Tone lll01:11

    Alterations in Muscle Tone lll

    Rigidity and myotonia are distinct abnormalities of muscle tone that affect resistance and relaxation during movement. Although both involve altered muscle contraction, they arise from different neurological and muscular mechanisms.CharacteristicsRigidity is characterized by uniform resistance to passive movement across the entire range, independent of speed, affecting flexors and extensors equally. It may appear as lead-pipe rigidity (smooth, constant resistance) or cogwheel rigidity...