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Potential environmental factors influencing the occurrence of bottom shuffling in ordinary infants
Ryoko Kalmar1, Masakazu Umezawa2
1Department of Early Childhood Education, Mimasaka Junior College, Tsuyama, Japan.
Insights
Bottom shuffling (BS) affects over 20% of infants, potentially reducing physical activity. Parental understanding of infant sitting development correlates with BS incidence, suggesting a link to developmental milestones.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Infant Motor Development
- Behavioral Pediatrics
Background:
- Bottom shuffling (BS) is observed in typically developing infants, but its incidence and influencing factors remain unclear.
- Understanding BS is crucial for assessing potential impacts on infant development and autonomy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence of bottom shuffling in typically developing infants.
- To explore the relationship between parental intervention/understanding and the incidence of bottom shuffling.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire survey on bottom shuffling was administered to 241 parents of infants aged 0-1 year.
- Participants were selected from urban and rural nursery schools across three prefectures in Japan.
Main Results:
- 52 out of 241 infants (21.6%) exhibited bottom shuffling between 6 and 18 months of age.
- No significant difference in the age of acquiring creeping, crawling, or sitting was found based on BS occurrence.
- A correlation was identified between BS incidence and parental beliefs regarding infant sitting development timing.
Conclusions:
- Bottom shuffling may decrease opportunities for prone activities, potentially reducing overall physical activity.
- Concerns exist regarding the impact of bottom shuffling on infant autonomy and physical development.
Background:
Bottom shuffling (BS) occurs in ordinary infants without developmental disorders; however, the incidence and the related factors have been unclear. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of BS in ordinary developing infants and the potential effects of parental intervention on the BS occurrence.
Methods:
A questionnaire survey on BS was conducted among 241 parents of 0-year-old and 1-year-old children in nursery schools, randomly selected from urban and rural areas in three prefectures in Japan.
Results:
Of the 241 infants without developmental disorders, 52 infants (21.6%) exhibited BS from 6 to 18 months of age (average: 8.3 ± 2.0 months). The ages of starting creeping, crawling, and unsupported sitting were 6.9 ± 1.8, 8.6 ± 1.8, and 7.0 ± 1.4 months of age, respectively. While the age of acquisition for creeping, crawling, or sitting did not differ due to BS, a correlation was found between BS incidence and parents' understanding of sitting development. Of the 241 parents, 110 parents responded that the timing of their infant's learning of "how to sit" should come just after their start of rolling over. In the infants with the 110 parents, a significant high frequency of the BS occurrence (27.3%, 30 out of 110) was observed.
Conclusions:
BS may lead to a decrease in opportunities for full-body prone activity resulting in reduced physical activity, which raises concerns about the infant's autonomy.
