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Posture Matters: Object Manipulation During the Transition to Arms-Free Sitting in Infants at Elevated vs. Typical
Miranda M Mlincek1, Emily J Roemer2, Christen Kraemer2
1Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Insights
Infants
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Infant motor development
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research
Background:
- Object manipulation is crucial for infant development.
- Motor skill acquisition is influenced by postural support.
- Early identification of developmental differences is key for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine changes in infant object manipulation (grasping, transferring) during the transition to unsupported sitting.
- To compare object manipulation skills in infants with typical development versus those with an elevated likelihood for ASD.
- To investigate the impact of postural support (supported vs. independent sitting) on these skills.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study observing 18 infants (5-8 months) over four weeks.
- Infants were assessed in supported and independent sitting positions.
- Quantified grasping time and object transfer rates during play.
Main Results:
- Both grasping time and object transfer rates improved as infants gained sitting independence.
- Infants with an elevated likelihood for ASD showed reduced grasping time in independent sitting compared to supported sitting.
- Infants with typical development did not show this difference.
Conclusions:
- Postural development significantly impacts the refinement of object manipulation skills.
- Infants with motor delays or elevated ASD likelihood may require specific attention to object interaction in various sitting contexts.
- Assessing object manipulation across different postures is vital for understanding developmental trajectories.
Abstract:
Aims: We investigated how infants grasped and transferred toys over a four-week period as they transitioned to arms-free sitting. We compared object manipulation in infants with typical likelihood (TL) and elevated likelihood (EL) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as they sat with vs. without support.Methods: Eighteen infants (7 EL; 11 TL; 5-8 months of age at the start of the study) were observed during three sessions at home across the transition to arms-free sitting. At each session, toys were presented to the infants in two different postures: sitting with support from a boppy pillow and sitting independently. Mean percentage of time spent grasping and rates of transferring objects between two hands were calculated for each infant at each session.Results: Both grasping time and transfer rate increased across the transition to arms-free sitting. EL infants, but not TL infants, spent significantly less time grasping toys when sitting independently than when sitting with support.Conclusions: Sitting plays a significant role in the development of object manipulation skills. Our results reveal a need to examine object manipulation skills in multiple posture contexts, especially in infants who exhibit motor delays.
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