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Tummy time without the tears: The impact of parent positioning and play

Amber E Mendres-Smith1, John C Borrero2, Mariana I Castillo2

  • 1University of Maryland, School of Medicine.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|May 22, 2020
PubMed

Insights

A parent-led "tummy time" intervention, involving chest-to-chest interaction with a toy, significantly reduced infant distress and improved head elevation. This approach is more effective than experimenter-led methods for infant motor development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infant Development
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends supervised prone (tummy) time for infant motor development and prevention of cranial deformities.
  • Infant intolerance to tummy time can lead caregivers to avoid it, despite AAP recommendations for enrichment.
  • Existing methods involving play mats and experimenter interaction show limited positive effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a parent-led intervention for improving infant tolerance and engagement during tummy time.
  • To compare parent-led versus experimenter-led interventions in reducing infant negative vocalizations and increasing head elevation.
  • To assess the social validity of the parent-led intervention from the caregivers' perspective.

Main Methods:

  • An experimenter-led intervention using a play mat and interaction was evaluated for its effects on infant negative vocalizations and head elevation.
  • A parent-led intervention, involving chest-to-chest interaction with a toy, was implemented and assessed.
  • Mothers rated the perceived effectiveness of both interventions.

Main Results:

  • The experimenter-led intervention showed limited positive effects on infant behavior during tummy time.
  • The parent-led intervention significantly reduced negative vocalizations in most infants.
  • The parent-led intervention led to increased head elevation in the majority of infants.
  • Mothers rated the parent-led intervention more favorably than the experimenter-led approach.

Conclusions:

  • A parent-led, chest-to-chest interaction strategy is an effective method to improve infant tolerance and engagement during tummy time.
  • This parent-led approach offers a socially valid and practical solution for caregivers facing challenges with infant prone positioning.
  • Findings support the integration of parent-led interactive strategies to promote infant motor development and well-being.

Keywords:
cryinghead elevationinfant behaviorparent interactiontummy time

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