Longitudinal observation of healthy children's motor development using the alberta infant motor scale

Abstract

[Purpose] To clarify the motor development of healthy infants, we conducted a longitudinal observation survey of healthy Japanese infants. [Subjects] Healthy infants participated in this study (9 males and 5 females age 5- 13 months old, birth weight: 2, 474-3, 964 g). Infants belonged to three daycare centers. [Method] An examiner visited the infants at a daycare center monthly, and examined their motor development using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). [Results] Eleven infants, out of 14, showed higher AIMS than the average at some ages in months and lower AIMS than the average at some ages. [Conclusion] The longitudinal survey confirmed that infants have certain periods when they become capable of new movements and other periods when their development stagnates. It also confirmed that the supine sleep position has no influence on infants' motor development acquisition. This suggests that the impact of physiological motor development must be considered when infants receiving PT become capable of new movement.