Related Experiment Videos
Relations of motor and vocal milestones in typically developing infants and infants with Down syndrome
A B Cobo-Lewis1, D K Oller, M P Lynch
1Psychology Annex, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124-0721, USA.
Insights
Infants with Down syndrome showed delays in motor milestones, particularly in rhythmic behaviors like babbling and hand-banging, and postural skills. These findings suggest linked neuromuscular development for specific infant milestones.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Milestone achievement is crucial for assessing typical infant development.
- Down syndrome is associated with developmental delays, but specific milestone interrelations require further study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess the onset of vocal and motor milestones in infants with and without Down syndrome.
- To examine the interrelations among these milestones and the impact of Down syndrome.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal measurement of ages for achieving canonical babbling, hand-banging, and six other motor milestones.
- Quantitative analysis of milestone onset interrelations and Down syndrome effects.
Main Results:
- Canonical babbling and hand-banging were associated and showed moderate delays in infants with Down syndrome.
- Stepping, standing, sitting, and creeping/crawling were associated and severely delayed in infants with Down syndrome.
- Rolling and reaching were delayed but showed weaker associations with other milestones.
Conclusions:
- Rhythmic behaviors (babbling, hand-banging) may share common neuromuscular underpinnings.
- Postural motor milestones may also be linked by shared neuromuscular factors.
- Down syndrome significantly impacts the acquisition of associated motor and vocal milestones.
Abstract:
We measured the ages at which typically developing infants and infants with Down syndrome achieved an important vocal milestone (canonical babbling), a rhythmic motor milestone (hand-banging), and six other motor milestones. The interrelations of the milestone onsets, and their relations with Down syndrome, were assessed quantitatively. Hand-banging and canonical babbling were associated and were somewhat delayed by Down syndrome. Stepping, standing, sitting, and creeping/crawling were associated and were severely delayed by Down syndrome. Rolling and reaching were also delayed by Down syndrome, though they were not strongly associated with other milestones or with one another. These results suggest that the rhythmic behaviors (canonical babbling and hand-banging) may be internally linked by common neuromuscular underpinnings and that the postural behaviors may be similarly linked.