Caregiving Practices Shaping Early Motor Development in Infancy: A Focused Ethnographic Study

Early motor development is often addressed through structured developmental guidance; however, less is known about how caregivers interpret and enact developmental practices within everyday life. Understanding how caregivers interpret and organise developmental activities within everyday caregiving routines is essential for informing child health practice.

A focused ethnographic study was conducted with 13 caregivers of infants under 18 months. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and field observations and analysed using Spradley's ethnographic analytic framework, including domain and taxonomic analysis.

Caregivers understood motor development as foundational to autonomy and daily functioning rather than solely as a biological milestone. Developmental practices were negotiated within contextual constraints such as time pressures, safety concerns and limited support networks. The use of devices (e.g., walkers or rockers) reflected pragmatic caregiving decisions rather than lack of developmental knowledge. Stimulation was enacted through relational play and environmental adaptation, frequently using everyday household materials and shared family routines.

In this urban Chilean sample recruited through early childhood centres, early motor development emerged as a culturally embedded caregiving process shaped by contextual realities and everyday environmental practices. Developmental guidance may be more effective when aligned with caregivers' lived experiences and family contexts. Recognising caregiving culture and negotiation processes can support early childhood and child health professionals in delivering more relationally sensitive and contextually relevant developmental support.