Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 10, 2025
Quantifying Learning in Young Infants: Tracking Leg Actions During a Discovery-learning Task
Published on: June 1, 2015
Leg Movement Rate Pre- and Post-Kicking Intervention in Infants with Down Syndrome
Rahil N Khasgiwale1, Beth A Smith2,3, Julia Looper4
1Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Insights
A kicking intervention significantly increased leg movement in infants with Down syndrome (DS). While movement rates improved, they remained lower than typically developing infants post-intervention.
Area of Science:
- Developmental pediatrics
- Motor development research
- Clinical intervention studies
Background:
- Infants with Down syndrome (DS) often exhibit delayed motor development, including atypical kicking patterns.
- Early intervention is crucial for improving motor outcomes in children with DS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of a home-based kicking intervention in enhancing leg movement rate in infants with DS.
- To compare the leg movement rates of infants with DS post-intervention to those of typically developing (TD) infants.
Main Methods:
- Nine infants (3-5 months) with DS participated in an 8-week, home-based kicking intervention using a specialized toy.
- Leg movement rate was quantified using Opal wearable sensors before and after the intervention period.
- A secondary analysis compared post-intervention leg movement rates in infants with DS to a control group of infants with typical development (TD).
Main Results:
- The kicking intervention led to a statistically significant increase in average leg movement rate among infants with DS (2253 to 2645 movements/hour).
- Post-intervention, infants with DS showed a significantly lower leg movement rate compared to infants with typical development (p=0.002).
Conclusions:
- Home-based kicking interventions can effectively enhance leg movement rates in infants with Down syndrome.
- Despite improvements, infants with DS continue to exhibit lower leg movement rates than their typically developing peers, highlighting the need for continued research and support.
Aim:
Children with Down syndrome (DS) have delayed development and atypical movements including kicking. We hypothesized that a kicking intervention would significantly increase leg movement rate.
Methods:
Nine infants, 3-5 months old, with DS used a commercially available toy that encouraged kicking. The intervention was administered in their home for 20 minutes, 5 days a week, for 8 weeks. Leg movement rate was measured using Opal wearable sensors before and after the intervention. At post-test, a secondary analysis compared infants with DS to infants with typical development (TD).
Results:
Average leg movement rate increased significantly from pre to post intervention, from 2253 to 2645 movements per hour of awake time (p = 0.049). Compared to data from nine infants with TD, infants with DS had a significantly lower movement rate post intervention (p = 0.002).
Conclusion:
The infants with DS demonstrated a higher leg movement rate following an in-home kicking intervention.
More Related Videos
07:20Author Spotlight: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Movement Observation in Cerebral Palsy
Published on: August 9, 2024
10:08Effects of a Novel Neuromuscular Training Intervention on Jump, Sprint, and Change of Direction in Adult Female Soccer Players
Published on: June 10, 2025