Lateralization in attainment and maintenance of neonatal head posture: further external validation

Consistencies in lateral head turning of 50 healthy, term neonates were examined to determine relations between attainment and maintenance of lateral head position. The majority showed lateral consistencies, typically rightward, in initial head turn from midline per trial, in direction of the majority of all head turns from midline per trial and in direction turned for the majority of time per trial. Head position prior to testing was related to the three indices. The results of work to date, including the current study, have proven very consistent in nature, yielding the most reliable measure of an element of lateralized behavior in the neonate.