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Characteristics of tummy time and dose-response relationships with development in infants

Zhiguang Zhang1, Madison Predy1, Kylie D Hesketh2

  • 1Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

European Journal of Pediatrics
|October 12, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Infants show increased tummy time preference and duration in the first six months. More tummy time is linked to better infant development, with optimal amounts increasing with age.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric physical activity and developmental science.

Background:

  • Tummy time is a crucial physical activity for infant development.
  • Current guidelines recommend at least 30 minutes of daily tummy time for non-mobile infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate changes in infant tummy time patterns and preferences during the first six months of life.
  • To examine the dose-response relationship between tummy time duration and infant developmental outcomes at 2, 4, and 6 months.

Main Methods:

  • Parental questionnaires assessed infant tummy time duration, preference, and development (Ages & Stages Questionnaire-3) at 2, 4, and 6 months.
  • A subsample used a 3-day time-use diary to measure tummy time bout frequency and length.
  • Participants were from the Early Movers project in Edmonton, Canada (n=411).

Main Results:

  • Tummy time bout frequency, bout length, and preference significantly increased over the first six months.
  • Linear dose-response relationships were found between tummy time duration and gross motor development at 4 months, and all developmental outcomes at 6 months.
  • Specific daily tummy time durations (e.g., 30-44 min/day at 2 months, 61-120 min/day at 6 months) were associated with higher total development scores.

Conclusions:

  • Infant preference for and engagement in tummy time increase during the first six months.
  • The optimal duration of tummy time for enhanced infant development appears to increase with age.
  • Findings suggest a dynamic relationship between tummy time and developmental progress in early infancy.

Keywords:
Cognitive developmentEarly childhoodMovement behaviorPhysical activityProne positionTummy timeYoung children

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