1
|
L West K, E Steward S, Roemer Britsch E, M Iverson J. Infant Communication Across the Transition to Walking: Developmental Cascades Among Infant Siblings of Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:2847-2859. [PMID: 37906320 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06030-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
New motor skills can shape how infants communicate with their caregivers. For example, learning to walk allows infants to move faster and farther than they previously could, in turn allowing them to approach their caregivers more frequently to gesture or vocalize. Does the link between walking and communication differ for infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), whose communicative and motor development differs from their neurotypically developing peers? We prospectively followed two groups of infants longitudinally during the transition from crawling to walking: (1) N = 25 infants with no family history of ASD; and (2) N = 91 infants with an older sibling with ASD. Fifteen infants were later diagnosed with ASD, and 26 infants showed a language delay (but did not receive an ASD diagnosis). After learning to walk, infants without ASD or language delay showed considerable changes in their communication: They gestured more frequently, and increasingly coordinated their gestures and vocalizations with locomotion (e.g., by approaching a caregiver and showing a toy). Infants with language delay showed similar but attenuated growth in their communication. However, infants later diagnosed with ASD did not display enhanced communication after they began to walk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L West
- Department of Psychology, Center for Innovative Research in Autism, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA.
- Department of Psychology, New York University, 4 Washington Place, Room 406, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
| | - Sarah E Steward
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| | | | - Jana M Iverson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lopez LD, Walle EA. Caregiver encouragement to act on objects is related with crawling infants' receptive language. INFANCY 2024; 29:550-570. [PMID: 38529523 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
The progression from crawling to walking in infancy is associated with changes in infant language development. One possible explanation for such change is the infant's language environment. Prior research indicates that caregivers use more action directives with walking infants compared to crawling infants, but the relations of such parental speech with infant vocabulary is unknown. Here, we present findings from day-long home audio recordings (Study 1) and laboratory observations (Study 2) of same-aged crawling and walking infants to explore how caregiver language, specifically action directives, were associated with parent reported infant vocabulary size. Findings in both studies indicated that caregiver action directives were associated with crawling, but not walking infants' receptive vocabulary sizes. Specifically, action directives about objects occurring when the infant and caregiver were not jointly engaged were associated with higher receptive vocabulary scores for crawling infants, but no such pattern was found for walking infants. The replication of results in distinct samples with different research methodologies strengthens the findings. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that caregiver social engagement specific to infant motoric development is related with infant language learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric A Walle
- University of California, Merced, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lovcevic I, Kammermeier M, Kanero J, Fang Y, Dong Y, Tsuji S, Paulus M. Infants' use of the index finger for social and non-social purposes during the first two years of life: A cross-cultural study. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 75:101953. [PMID: 38653005 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of the pointing gesture is a major developmental milestone in human infancy. Pointing fosters preverbal communication and is key for language and theory of mind development. Little is known about its ontogenetic origins and whether its pathway is similar across different cultures. The goal of this study was to examine the theoretical proposal that social pointing is preceded by a non-social use of the index finger and later becomes a social-communicative gesture. Moreover, the study investigated to which extent the emergence of social pointing differs cross-culturally. We assessed non-social index-finger use and social pointing in 647 infants aged 3- to 24 months from 4 different countries (China, Germany, Japan, and Türkiye). Non-social index-finger use and social pointing increased with infants' age, such that social pointing became more dominant than non-social index-finger use with age. Whereas social pointing was reported across countries, its reported frequency differed between cultures with significantly greater social pointing frequency in infants from Türkiye, China, and Germany compared to Japanese infants. Our study supports theoretical proposals of the dominance of non-social index-finger use during early infancy with social pointing becoming more prominent as infants get older. These findings contribute to our understanding of infants' use of their index finger for social and non-social purposes during the first two years of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irena Lovcevic
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Studies, 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | | | - Junko Kanero
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Sabancı University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yuan Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Sho Tsuji
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Studies, 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Markus Paulus
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hoch J, Hospodar C, da Costa Aguiar Alves GK, Adolph K. Variations in infants' physical and social environments shape spontaneous locomotion. Dev Psychol 2024; 60:991-1001. [PMID: 38647471 PMCID: PMC11251348 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Independent locomotion is associated with a range of positive developmental outcomes, but unlike cognitive, linguistic, and social skills, acquiring motor skills requires infants to generate their own input for learning. We tested factors that shape infants' spontaneous locomotion by observing forty 12- to 22-month-olds (19 girls, 21 boys) during free play. Infants were recruited from the New York City area, and caregivers reported that 25 infants were White, six were Asian, four were Black, and five had multiple races; four were Hispanic or Latino. All infants played in four conditions: two environmental conditions (gross-motor toys, fine-motor toys) crossed with two social conditions (alone, together with a caregiver). Infants moved more in the gross-motor toy conditions than in the fine-motor toy conditions. However, the effect of playing with a caregiver differed by toy condition. In the gross-motor toy conditions, playing with a caregiver did not affect how much infants moved, but in the fine-motor toy conditions, playing with a caregiver further depressed infant locomotion. Infants with more walking experience moved more with gross-motor toys but not with fine-motor toys. Differences in the amount of locomotion between conditions were related to how infants used toys and the interactions between infants and caregivers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justine Hoch
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Paleg GS, Williams SA, Livingstone RW. Supported Standing and Supported Stepping Devices for Children with Non-Ambulant Cerebral Palsy: An Interdependence and F-Words Focus. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:669. [PMID: 38928915 PMCID: PMC11203597 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Children functioning at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels IV-V cannot maintain an aligned standing position or take steps without support. Upright positioning and mobility devices have psycho-social significance for these children and their families, enhancing use of vision, communication, functioning and emotional well-being. Standers and supported stepping devices facilitate opportunities for biomechanical loading, potentially helping to build and maintain muscle and bone integrity, and they promote physical development. However, families are often required to choose between these two devices for their young child. This study aims to synthesize evidence for use and benefits of both supported standing and stepping devices through the lens of two contemporary theoretical frameworks to support clinical reasoning and implementation. The F-words for childhood development (functioning, family, fitness, fun, friends, future) and the interdependence-Human Activity Assistive Technology (iHAAT) models were combined to illustrate the complex interactions between the child, family, caregivers, peers and contextual factors when implementing standing and stepping devices with children at GMFCS levels IV and V. Supported standing and stepping devices provide complementary benefits, and both may be necessary starting at 9-15 months. We propose they both be included ON-Time, along with other age-appropriate positioning and mobility devices, to promote more equitable developmental opportunities for children with non-ambulant cerebral palsy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sian A. Williams
- School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Roslyn W. Livingstone
- Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada;
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bowler A, Arichi T, Fearon P, Meaburn E, Begum-Ali J, Pascoe G, Johnson MH, Jones EJH, Ronald A. Phenotypic and Genetic Associations Between Preschool Fine Motor Skills and Later Neurodevelopment, Psychopathology, and Educational Achievement. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:849-858. [PMID: 38043695 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fine motor skills are heritable and comprise important milestones in development, and some evidence suggests that impairments in fine motor skills are associated with neurodevelopmental conditions, psychiatric disorders, and poor educational outcomes. METHODS In a preregistered study of 9625 preschool children from TEDS (Twins Early Development Study), fine motor assessments (drawing, block building, folding, and questionnaires) were conducted at 2, 3, and 4 years of age. A cross-age fine motor score was derived using principal component analysis. Multivariate regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between the fine motor score and neurodevelopmental traits, psychopathology, and educational outcomes at 3 later ages (7-8, 12, and 16 years) and cross-age psychopathology composite scores. Polygenic scores (PGSs) were created for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, schizophrenia, anxiety, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and years of education. We ran single-PGS models and a multi-PGS model. RESULTS Fine motor skills were negatively associated with neurodevelopmental traits and psychopathology across childhood and adolescence and positively associated with educational achievement in adolescence (β = 0.25, p < .001). Superior fine motor skills were associated with a higher years-of-education PGS (β = 0.07, p < .001), a lower ADHD PGS (β = -0.04, p = .011), and a higher anxiety PGS (β = 0.03, p = .040). Similarly, the multi-PGS model retained the PGSs for years of education (β = 0.07), ADHD (β = -0.03), and anxiety (β = 0.01). A non-preregistered analysis in an independent preschool sample replicated the ADHD PGS association, but not the years of education or anxiety PGS associations. CONCLUSIONS Fine motor skills are linked genetically and phenotypically to later neurodevelopment, psychopathology, and educational outcomes. Future work should investigate the mechanisms that underlie the role of fine motor development in later outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aislinn Bowler
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Pediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pasco Fearon
- Centre for Family Research, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Meaburn
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jannath Begum-Ali
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Greg Pascoe
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Angelica Ronald
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom; School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Huang HH, Chu YW, Chan AT, Chen CL. A pilot randomised controlled trial of ride-on cars and postural combinations of standing and sitting for mobility and social function in toddlers with motor delays. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38180348 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2023.2299712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Locomotor experiences in upright postures are essential for developing toddlers' mobility and social functions. This pilot randomised controlled trial aimed to examine the effectiveness of using a modified ride-on car (ROC) with postural combinations of standing and sitting on mobility and social function in toddlers with motor delays. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nineteen participants aged 1-3 years with mild, moderate or severe motor delays were randomly assigned to four ROC groups. The ROC groups had different combinations of standing and sitting, namely standing for 70 min (ROC-Stand70, five participants), standing for 45 min (ROC-Stand45, four participants), standing for 25 min (ROC-Stand25, five participants) and sitting for 70 min (ROC-Sit70, five participants). All participants participated in 2-h sessions twice a week for 12 weeks. The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory, Goal Attainment Scaling and Bayley-III tests were administered before and after the intervention, and after 12 weeks of follow-up. A mixed-model analysis of variance was used to compare inter- and intra-group differences. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03707405). RESULTS All groups showed significantly improved mobility, social function and goal achievement at the post-test (p < .001). However, no significant changes were observed in Bayley scores. CONCLUSIONS Combining physical and social environmental modifications with active exploration is crucial for early power mobility training in toddlers with motor delays. To enhance the robustness and generalisability of our findings, future studies should include larger sample sizes, consider variations in motor delays, and measure energy expenditure during the intervention.Implications for rehabilitationProviding active exploratory experience using ride-on cars (ROCs) with various postural combinations can improve a child's mobility.The ROC training with various postural combinations can improve social function, and the degree of improvement may depend on the severity of motor delays.Setting goals with caregivers and incorporating their roles in the training process can empower them to interact with children more frequently and actively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hsiang-Han Huang
- Department of Occupational Therapy and Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wen Chu
- Department of Occupational Therapy and Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Hung Da Wei Rehabilitation Clinic, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ai-Tzu Chan
- Department of Occupational Therapy and Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chia-Ling Chen
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Early Intervention, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Calignano G, Lettere G, Leo I, Maritan F, Mattera L, Granata P, Lucangeli D, Valenza E. Interconnected Pathways: Postural Stability and Vocabulary Skills in Preschool-Aged Children. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1891. [PMID: 38136093 PMCID: PMC10741731 DOI: 10.3390/children10121891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has highlighted an interplay between postural abilities and linguistic skills during infancy. However, this relationship could undergo further radical transformations in other periods of development. This current study explored a plausible network of relationships among postural abilities and vocabulary skills in a substantial cohort (N = 222) of preschoolers aged between 2 and 5 years-a developmental phase critical for refining both language and motor competencies. Here, postural stability was measured in terms of balance duration and accuracy, alongside an assessment of comprehension and expressive vocabulary skills. Employing a diverse set of techniques, i.e., data and missing data visualization and multilevel regression analysis, task complexity and age emerged as crucial factors explaining our data. In addition, network analysis indicates that language production plays a central role within postural and language interdomain networks. The resulting discussion focuses on the useful implications of this study for the assessment of typical preschool development, which would benefit from tailored methodological inspections guided by developmental theories that are framed in inter-domain approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Calignano
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, 35131 Padua, Italy; (G.L.); (I.L.); (D.L.); (E.V.)
| | - Giorgia Lettere
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, 35131 Padua, Italy; (G.L.); (I.L.); (D.L.); (E.V.)
| | - Irene Leo
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, 35131 Padua, Italy; (G.L.); (I.L.); (D.L.); (E.V.)
| | - Francesca Maritan
- “Giovanni XXIII” Centro Infanzia, 35142 Padua, Italy; (F.M.); (L.M.); (P.G.)
| | - Laura Mattera
- “Giovanni XXIII” Centro Infanzia, 35142 Padua, Italy; (F.M.); (L.M.); (P.G.)
| | - Patrizia Granata
- “Giovanni XXIII” Centro Infanzia, 35142 Padua, Italy; (F.M.); (L.M.); (P.G.)
| | - Daniela Lucangeli
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, 35131 Padua, Italy; (G.L.); (I.L.); (D.L.); (E.V.)
| | - Eloisa Valenza
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, 35131 Padua, Italy; (G.L.); (I.L.); (D.L.); (E.V.)
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
West KL, Saleh AN, Adolph KE, Tamis-LeMonda CS. "Go, go, go!" Mothers' verbs align with infants' locomotion. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13397. [PMID: 37078147 PMCID: PMC10653669 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Caregivers often tailor their language to infants' ongoing actions (e.g., "are you stacking the blocks?"). When infants develop new motor skills, do caregivers show concomitant changes in their language input? We tested whether the use of verbs that refer to locomotor actions (e.g., "come," "bring," "walk") differed for mothers of 13-month-old crawling (N = 16) and walking infants (N = 16), and mothers of 18-month-old experienced walkers (N = 16). Mothers directed twice as many locomotor verbs to walkers compared to same-age crawlers, but mothers' locomotor verbs were similar for younger and older walkers. In real-time, mothers' use of locomotor verbs was dense when infants were locomoting, and sparse when infants were stationary, regardless of infants' crawler/walker status. Consequently, infants who spent more time in motion received more locomotor verbs compared to infants who moved less frequently. Findings indicate that infants' motor skills guide their in-the-moment behaviors, which in turn shape the language they receive from caregivers. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Infants' motor skills guide their in-the-moment behaviors, which in turn shape the language they receive from caregivers. Mothers directed more frequent and diverse verbs that referenced locomotion (e.g., "come," "go," "bring") to walking infants compared to same-aged crawling infants. Mothers' locomotor verbs were temporally dense when infants locomoted and sparse when infants were stationary, regardless of whether infants could walk or only crawl.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L. West
- Department of Psychology, Center for Innovative Research in Autism, University of Alabama
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Toyama N. Imitation among infants in a day-care center and the development of locomotion. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 72:101870. [PMID: 37544196 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
To examine the relationship between imitation and locomotor development among peers during infancy, we observed free play in a class of infants in a day-care center over a one-year period. The analysis included 16 infants (mean age was 8.3 months (SD=2.3) at the beginning of the observation) and 5 caregivers. The longitudinal data were divided into the crawling, cruising, and walking periods, and the imitation of object manipulation that took place among the infants during each period was analyzed. With the development of locomotion, peer-to-peer imitation became frequent. Infants who had acquired the ability to walk demonstrated imitation more frequently in triadic interactions than in dyadic interactions. Imitation took place between infants, but it was often mediated by caregivers rather than directly between infants. The results suggest that the acquisition of locomotor skills is a link in a developmental cascade from motor development to infant peer interaction. However, it is reasonable to interpret the results as indicating that the development of locomotion does not directly affect infant interactions in isolation, but rather that walking increases both the sharing and manipulation of objects with caregivers and proximity to peers, and their combined effects form a cascade.
Collapse
|
11
|
Mustieles V, Rolland M, Pin I, Thomsen C, Sakhi AK, Sabaredzovic A, Muckle G, Guichardet K, Slama R, Philippat C. Early-Life Exposure to a Mixture of Phenols and Phthalates in Relation to Child Social Behavior: Applying an Evidence-Based Prioritization to a Cohort with Improved Exposure Assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:87006. [PMID: 37556305 PMCID: PMC10411634 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies aiming at relating exposure to phenols and phthalates with child social behavior characterized exposure using one or a few spot urine samples, resulting in substantial exposure misclassification. Moreover, early infancy exposure was rarely studied. OBJECTIVES We aimed to examine the associations of phthalates and phenols with child social behavior in a cohort with improved exposure assessment and to a priori identify the chemicals supported by a higher weight of evidence. METHODS Among 406 mother-child pairs from the French Assessment of Air Pollution exposure during Pregnancy and Effect on Health (SEPAGES) cohort, 25 phenols/phthalate metabolites were measured in within-subject pools of repeated urine samples collected at the second and third pregnancy trimesters (∼ 21 samples/trimester) and at 2 months and 1-year of age (∼ 7 samples/period). Social behavior was parent-reported at 3 years of age of the child using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). A structured literature review of the animal and human evidence was performed to prioritize the measured phthalates/phenols based on their likelihood to affect social behavior. Both adjusted linear regression and Bayesian Weighted Quantile Sum (BWQS) regression models were fitted. False discovery rate (FDR) correction was applied only to nonprioritized chemicals. RESULTS Prioritized compounds included bisphenol A, bisphenol S, triclosan (TCS), diethyl-hexyl phthalate (Σ DEHP ), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n -butyl phthalate (MnBP), and mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP). With the exception of bisphenols, which showed a mixed pattern of positive and negative associations in pregnant mothers and neonates, few prenatal associations were observed. Most associations were observed with prioritized chemicals measured in 1-y-old infants: Each doubling in urinary TCS (β = 0.78 ; 95% CI: 0.00, 1.55) and MEP (β = 0.92 ; 95% CI: - 0.11 , 1.96) concentrations were associated with worse total SRS scores, whereas MnBP and Σ DEHP were associated with worse Social Awareness (β = 0.25 ; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.50) and Social Communication (β = 0.43 ; 95% CI: - 0.02 , 0.89) scores, respectively. BWQS also suggested worse total SRS [Beta 1 = 1.38 ; 95% credible interval (CrI): - 0.18 , 2.97], Social Awareness (Beta 1 = 0.37 ; 95% CrI: 0.06, 0.70), and Social Communication (Beta 1 = 0.91 ; 95% CrI: 0.31, 1.53) scores per quartile increase in the mixture of prioritized compounds assessed in 1-y-old infants. The few associations observed with nonprioritized chemicals did not remain after FDR correction, with the exception of benzophenone-3 exposure in 1-y-old infants, which was suggestively associated with worse Social Communication scores (corrected p = 0.07 ). DISCUSSION The literature search allowed us to adapt our statistical analysis according to the weight of evidence and create a corpus of experimental and epidemiological knowledge to better interpret our findings. Early infancy appears to be a sensitive exposure window that should be further investigated. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11798.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Mustieles
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Matthieu Rolland
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Isabelle Pin
- Pediatric Department, Grenoble Alpes University Hospital, La Tronche, France
| | | | | | | | - Gina Muckle
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec - Université Laval Research Center, Québec City, Canada
| | - Karine Guichardet
- Pediatric Department, Grenoble Alpes University Hospital, La Tronche, France
| | - Rémy Slama
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Claire Philippat
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U 1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Laudańska Z, Szmytke M, Radkowska A, Malinowska-Korczak A, Babis K, Pérez DL, Tomalski P. Improving access to assessments of early motor development in local languages: polish adaptation of the Early Motor Questionnaire. Eur J Pediatr 2023; 182:2299-2313. [PMID: 36872378 PMCID: PMC9985953 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-023-04895-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
A child's motor development progresses very dynamically. It is crucial to develop freely available parent-report measures of motor development that can be easily used globally to measure motor skills and identify children in need of interventions. This paper presents the adaptation and validation of the Early Motor Questionnaire, which consists of gross motor (GM), fine motor (FM), and perception-action integration (PA) subscales, to the Polish language (EMQ-PL). Study 1 (online, cross-sectional, N = 640) assessed psychometric properties of the EMQ-PL and its value in identifying children referred to physiotherapy. Results reveal excellent psychometric properties of the EMQ-PL and differences in GM and total age-independent scores between children that were and were not referred for physiotherapy. Study 2 (in-person assessment, longitudinal, N = 100) showed high correlations of GM and total scores with Alberta Infant Motor Scale. CONCLUSION Overall, the EMQ can be easily adapted to local languages and has the potential for use as a screening tool in global health contexts. WHAT IS KNOWN • Parent-report questionnaires - especially those available free of charge - can potentially improve the rapid assessment of motor skills in young children worldwide. • Translation, adaptation and validation of freely available parent-report measures of motor development to local languages are important for local populations. WHAT IS NEW • Early Motor Questionnaire can be easily adapted to local languages and has the potential for use as a screening tool in global health contexts. • The polish version of the Early Motor Questionnaire has excellent psychometric properties and highly correlates with infants' age and Alberta Infant Motor Scale scores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna Laudańska
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Szmytke
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alicja Radkowska
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Malinowska-Korczak
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karolina Babis
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - David López Pérez
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Przemysław Tomalski
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chen Q, Schneider JL, West KL, Iverson JM. Infant locomotion shapes proximity to adults during everyday play in the U.S. INFANCY 2023; 28:190-205. [PMID: 36180977 PMCID: PMC9899299 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Learning to walk expands infants' access to the physical environment and prompts changes in their communicative behaviors. However, little is known about whether walking also shapes infants' proximity to their adult social partners during everyday activities at home. Here we followed 89 infants (42 boys, 47 girls; 92% White, not Hispanic or Latino) longitudinally and documented connections between infant locomotion and infant-adult proximity on two timescales: (1) across developmental time, by comparing data from a session when infants could only crawl to a later session when they could walk (M walk onset = 12.15 months, range = 8-15); and (2) in real time, by testing whether the amount of time that infants spent in motion (regardless of their locomotor status) related to their interpersonal distance to adults. The developmental transition to walking corresponded to a significant, but modest, decrease in infant-adult proximity. Infants' moment-to-moment locomotion, however, was strongly related to patterns of interpersonal distance: infants who spent more time in motion spent less time near adults and instigated more proximity transitions, resulting in shorter and more dispersed bouts of proximity throughout sessions. Findings shed new light on how infants' motor achievements can reverberate across other domains of development, and how changes in infant development that researchers often observe over months arise from infants' moment-to-moment experiences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Chen
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| | | | - Kelsey L West
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jana M Iverson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Blagovechtchenski E, Koriakina M, Bredikhin D, Agranovich O, Kadieva D, Ermolovich E, Jääskeläinen IP, Shestakova AN. Similar Cognitive Skill Impairment in Children with Upper Limb Motor Disorders Due to Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita and Obstetrical Brachial Plexus Palsy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1841. [PMID: 36767207 PMCID: PMC9914233 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) and obstetrical brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) are motor disorders with similar symptoms (contractures and the disturbance of upper limb function). Both conditions present as flaccid paresis but differ from each other in the pathogenesis: AMC is a congenital condition, while OBPP results from trauma during childbirth. Despite this difference, these diseases are identical in terms of their manifestations and treatment programmes. We compared the cognitive skills of children with AMC and OBPP diagnoses with those of healthy children; we also compared the motor skills of impaired children with those of healthy ones. The patients in both groups significantly differed from the healthy children with regard to psychological parameters, such as 'visual memory capacity' and 'thinking'. Moreover, the two groups with children with AMC and OBPP significantly differed from each other in motor skill parameters, such as 'delayed motor development', 'general motor development', and the 'level of paresis'. Upper limb motor function in the OBPP children was less impaired compared to that of the AMC children. However, we did not find any significant differences in cognitive deficits between the AMC children and the OBPP children. This may indicate that motor impairment is more significant than the underlying cause for the development of cognitive impairment; however, the factors causing this phenomenon require further study (e.g., social environment, treatment, and rehabilitation programme).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Blagovechtchenski
- Centre for Cognition & Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neurosceince, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria Koriakina
- Centre for Cognition & Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neurosceince, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, The Turner Scientific Research Institute for Children’s Orthopedics under the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 196603 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dimitri Bredikhin
- Centre for Cognition & Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neurosceince, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Agranovich
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, The Turner Scientific Research Institute for Children’s Orthopedics under the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 196603 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dzerassa Kadieva
- Centre for Cognition & Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neurosceince, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| | - Evgenia Ermolovich
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, The Turner Scientific Research Institute for Children’s Orthopedics under the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 196603 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Iiro P. Jääskeläinen
- Centre for Cognition & Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neurosceince, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, 00076 Espoo, Finland
| | - Anna N. Shestakova
- Centre for Cognition & Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neurosceince, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Toyama N. Locomotion development and infants' object interaction in a day‐care environment. INFANCY 2022; 28:684-704. [PMID: 36547005 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
This longitudinal study examined the relationship between the development of locomotion and infants' interaction with others involving objects. Observations took place in a multi-person situation-a day-care class-for one-year-old infants for 1 year. The study participants were 13 infants and 7 caregivers (all Japanese). Frequencies of infants' manual contact with objects and moving before contact with them did not differ according to locomotion developmental level. However, infants who began walking engaged in more social interactions than those who were cruising or crawling. Throughout all locomotor developmental periods, social interactions increased in frequency when more caregivers were present. As infants began to walk, they moved more prior to social interactions, had more frequent bidirectional and triadic social interactions, and moved and interacted more often with others during a single object episode. These results suggest that crawlers' engagement with objects is relatively object-oriented, while for walkers, locomotion seems to be driven by social stimuli. Infants who have begun to walk moved among caregivers and peers in a multi-person environment and developed more elaborated social interactions through objects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Toyama
- School of Human Sciences Waseda University Tokorozawa Japan
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Holden E, Buryn-Weitzel JC, Atim S, Biroch H, Donnellan E, Graham KE, Hoffman M, Jurua M, Knapper CV, Lahiff NJ, Marshall S, Paricia J, Tusiime F, Wilke C, Majid A, Slocombe KE. Maternal attitudes and behaviours differentially shape infant early life experience: A cross cultural study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278378. [PMID: 36542635 PMCID: PMC9770339 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life environments afford infants a variety of learning opportunities, and caregivers play a fundamental role in shaping infant early life experience. Variation in maternal attitudes and parenting practices is likely to be greater between than within cultures. However, there is limited cross-cultural work characterising how early life environment differs across populations. We examined the early life environment of infants from two cultural contexts where attitudes towards parenting and infant development were expected to differ: in a group of 53 mother-infant dyads in the UK and 44 mother-infant dyads in Uganda. Participants were studied longitudinally from when infants were 3- to 15-months-old. Questionnaire data revealed the Ugandan mothers had more relational attitudes towards parenting than the mothers from the UK, who had more autonomous parenting attitudes. Using questionnaires and observational methods, we examined whether infant development and experience aligned with maternal attitudes. We found the Ugandan infants experienced a more relational upbringing than the UK infants, with Ugandan infants receiving more distributed caregiving, more body contact with their mothers, and more proximity to mothers at night. Ugandan infants also showed earlier physical development compared to UK infants. Contrary to our expectations, however, Ugandan infants were not in closer proximity to their mothers during the day, did not have more people in proximity or more partners for social interaction compared to UK infants. In addition, when we examined attitudes towards specific behaviours, mothers' attitudes rarely predicted infant experience in related contexts. Taken together our findings highlight the importance of measuring behaviour, rather than extrapolating expected behaviour based on attitudes alone. We found infants' early life environment varies cross-culturally in many important ways and future research should investigate the consequences of these differences for later development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eve Holden
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | | | - Santa Atim
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Nyabyeya, Uganda
| | - Hellen Biroch
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Nyabyeya, Uganda
| | - Ed Donnellan
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kirsty E. Graham
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Maggie Hoffman
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Michael Jurua
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Nyabyeya, Uganda
| | | | - Nicole J. Lahiff
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Marshall
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Claudia Wilke
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Asifa Majid
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Calabretta BT, Schneider JL, Iverson JM. Bidding on the go: Links between walking, social actions, and caregiver responses in infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2022; 15:2324-2335. [PMID: 36254470 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The development of walking is associated with a shift in how neurotypical infants initiate social interactions. Walking infants are more likely to locate objects in distant places, carry them, and then share those objects by approaching caregivers and using gestures to show or offer their discoveries (i.e., moving bids). The simultaneous organization of the behaviors necessary to generate moving bids requires the coordination of multiple skills-walking, fine motor skills, and gesturing. Infants with an elevated likelihood (EL) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit differences and delays in each of these behaviors. This study investigated interconnections between infant walking, social actions, and caregiver responses in 18-month-old EL infants with diverse developmental outcomes (ASD, non-ASD language delay, no diagnosis). We observed 85 infant-caregiver dyads at home during everyday activities for 45 minutes and identified all times when infants walked, instances of walking paired with social action (i.e., approaching the caregiver, approaching while carrying an object, producing a moving bid), and whether caregivers responded to their infants' social actions. There were no group differences in infants' production of social actions. Caregiver responses, however, were more clearly modulated by outcome group. While all caregivers were similarly and highly likely to respond to moving bids, caregivers of EL-ASD infants were substantially more likely to respond when their infants simply approached them (with or without an object in hand). Taken together, this research underscores the complexity of EL infant-caregiver interactions and highlights the role that each partner plays in shaping how they unfold.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bianca T Calabretta
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joshua L Schneider
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jana M Iverson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Iverson JM. Developing language in a developing body, revisited: The cascading effects of motor development on the acquisition of language. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022; 13:e1626. [PMID: 36165333 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In the first years of life, infants rapidly acquire a series of new motor skills. They learn to sit independently, to walk with skill, and to engage in a wide variety of interactions with objects. Over these same years, infants also begin to develop language. These are not isolated events. In a complex developing system, even small changes in one domain can have far-reaching effects on development in other domains. This is the fundamental idea behind the rich framework known as the developmental cascades perspective. Here we employ this framework to show how early motor advances can exert downstream effects on the development of language. Focusing first on the emergence of independent sitting, then on the development of walking, and finally on changes in the ways in which infants act on and combine actions on objects, we describe how the nature and quality of infant actions change dramatically over the first few years and how this brings with it new possibilities for engaging the environment, more sophisticated ways of interacting with people, and significant alterations in communications directed by caregivers to the infant and coordinated with infant action in time and in meaning. The developmental cascades framework provides an approach for understanding how advances in motor skills influence communicative and language development, and more generally, for conceptualizing the constant, dynamic, and complex interplay between developing infants and their environments as it unfolds over time. This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Language Acquisition Psychology > Motor Skill and Performance Psychology > Development and Aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jana M Iverson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Infant walking experience is related to the development of selective attention. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 220:105425. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
20
|
Abstract
Human infancy and early childhood is both a time of heightened brain plasticity and responsivity to the environment as well as a developmental period of dependency on caregivers for survival, nurturance, and stimulation. Across primate species and human evolutionary history, close contact between infants and caregivers is species-expected. As children develop, caregiver-child proximity patterns change as children become more autonomous. In addition to developmental changes, there is variation in caregiver-child proximity across cultures and families, with potential implications for child functioning. We propose that caregiver-child proximity is an important dimension for understanding early environments, given that interactions between children and their caregivers are a primary source of experience-dependent learning. We review approaches for operationalizing this construct (e.g., touch, physical distance) and highlight studies that illustrate how caregiver-child proximity can be measured. Drawing on the concepts proposed in dimensional models of adversity, we consider how caregiver-child proximity may contribute to our understanding of children's early experiences. Finally, we discuss future directions in caregiver-child proximity research with the goal of understanding the link between early experiences and child adaptive and maladaptive functioning.
Collapse
|
21
|
Schneider JL, Iverson JM. Cascades in action: How the transition to walking shapes caregiver communication during everyday interactions. Dev Psychol 2022; 58:1-16. [PMID: 34843275 PMCID: PMC9588170 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
New motor skills supply infants with new possibilities for action and have consequences for development in unexpected places. For example, the transition from crawling to walking is accompanied by gains in other abilities-better ways to move, see the world, and engage in social interactions (e.g., Adolph & Tamis-LeMonda, 2014). Do the developmental changes associated with walking extend to the communicative behaviors of caregivers? Thirty infants (14 boys, 16 girls; 93% White, not Hispanic or Latino) and their caregivers (84% held a college degree or higher) were observed during everyday activities at home during the two-month window surrounding the onset of walking (M infant age = 11.98 months, range = 8.74-14.86). Using a cross-domain coding system, we tracked change in the rates of co-occurrence between infants' locomotor actions and caregivers' concurrent language and gesture input. We examined these relations on two timescales-across developmental time, as infants transitioned from crawling to walking, and in real time based on moment-to-moment differences in infant posture. A consistent pattern of results emerged: compared to crawling, bouts of infant walking were more likely to co-occur with caregiver language and gestures that either requested or described movement or provided information about objects. An effect of infants' real-time behavior was also discovered, such that infants were more likely to hear language from their caregivers when they moved while upright compared to prone. Taken together, findings suggest that the emergence of walking reorganizes the infant-caregiver dyad and sets in motion a developmental cascade that shapes the communication caregivers provide. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
|
22
|
The Relationships between Sibling Characteristics and Motor Performance in 3- to 5-Year-Old Typically Developing Children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:ijerph19010356. [PMID: 35010616 PMCID: PMC8744780 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Siblings have been hypothesized to positively impact the motor performance of children by acting as examples and by providing a safe environment, but they may also negatively impact motor performance because they could compete for the parent’s time and care. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between several sibling characteristics and motor performance in 3- to 5-year-old children. The sample consisted of 205 3- to 5-year-old children (mean age 50.9 ± 10.0 months, 52.2% boys). The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 was used to measure motor performance. The sibling variable was operationalized as the number of siblings present, the age difference between a child and its siblings, and the birth order position of a child. The confounding variables that were taken into account were the age, sex, and behavioral problems of the child and maternal education level. None of the investigated sibling variables were related to the total motor performance of a child after controlling for possible confounding variables. The absence of any associations between the sibling variables and motor performance might be explained by the characteristics of the study sample, the possibility that there is no linear relationship, or the presence of still unknown moderating or mediating factors.
Collapse
|
23
|
Toyama N. Developmental changes in infants' physical contact with others across the transitional period from crawling to walking. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Toyama
- School of Human Sciences Waseda University Tokorozawa Japan
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Long BL, Sanchez A, Kraus AM, Agrawal K, Frank MC. Automated detections reveal the social information in the changing infant view. Child Dev 2021; 93:101-116. [PMID: 34787894 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
How do postural developments affect infants' access to social information? We recorded egocentric and third-person video while infants and their caregivers (N = 36, 8- to 16-month-olds, N = 19 females) participated in naturalistic play sessions. We then validated the use of a neural network pose detection model to detect faces and hands in the infant view. We used this automated method to analyze our data and a prior egocentric video dataset (N = 17, 12-month-olds). Infants' average posture and orientation with respect to their caregiver changed dramatically across this age range; both posture and orientation modulated access to social information. Together, these results confirm that infant's ability to move and act on the world plays a significant role in shaping the social information in their view.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bria L Long
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Alessandro Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Allison M Kraus
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ketan Agrawal
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Michael C Frank
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Franchak JM, Scott V, Luo C. A Contactless Method for Measuring Full-Day, Naturalistic Motor Behavior Using Wearable Inertial Sensors. Front Psychol 2021; 12:701343. [PMID: 34744865 PMCID: PMC8570382 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.701343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
How can researchers best measure infants' motor experiences in the home? Body position-whether infants are held, supine, prone, sitting, or upright-is an important developmental experience. However, the standard way of measuring infant body position, video recording by an experimenter in the home, can only capture short instances, may bias measurements, and conflicts with physical distancing guidelines resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we introduce and validate an alternative method that uses machine learning algorithms to classify infants' body position from a set of wearable inertial sensors. A laboratory study of 15 infants demonstrated that the method was sufficiently accurate to measure individual differences in the time that infants spent in each body position. Two case studies showed the feasibility of applying this method to testing infants in the home using a contactless equipment drop-off procedure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John M. Franchak
- Perception, Action, and Development Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Locatelli C, Onnivello S, Antonaros F, Feliciello A, Filoni S, Rossi S, Pulina F, Marcolin C, Vianello R, Toffalini E, Ramacieri G, Martelli A, Procaccini G, Sperti G, Caracausi M, Pelleri MC, Vitale L, Pirazzoli GL, Strippoli P, Cocchi G, Piovesan A, Lanfranchi S. Is the Age of Developmental Milestones a Predictor for Future Development in Down Syndrome? Brain Sci 2021; 11:655. [PMID: 34069813 PMCID: PMC8157296 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Down Syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic alteration responsible for intellectual disability, which refers to deficits in both intellectual and adaptive functioning. According to this, individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) reach developmental milestones (e.g., sitting, walking, and babbling) in the same order as their typically developing peers, but later in life. Since developmental milestones are the first blocks on which development builds, the aims of the current study are to: (i) expand the knowledge of developmental milestone acquisition; and (ii) explore the relationship between developmental milestone acquisition and later development. For this purpose 105 children/adolescents with DS were involved in this study, divided in two groups, Preschoolers (n = 39) and School-age participants (n = 66). Information on the age of acquisition of Sitting, Walking, Babbling, and Sphincter Control was collected, together with cognitive, motor, and adaptive functioning. Sitting predicted later motor development, but, with age, it became less important in predicting motor development in everyday life. Babbling predicted later language development in older children. Finally, Sphincter Control emerged as the strongest predictor of motor, cognitive, language, and adaptive skills, with its role being more evident with increasing age. Our data suggest that the age of reaching the milestones considered in the study has an influence on successive development, a role that can be due to common neural substrates, the environment, and the developmental cascade effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Locatelli
- IRCCS, St. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, via Massarenti 11, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (C.L.); (A.F.); (S.F.); (S.R.); (A.M.); (G.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Sara Onnivello
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.O.); (F.P.); (C.M.); (R.V.); (S.L.)
| | - Francesca Antonaros
- Unit of Histology, Embryology and Applied Biology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 8, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (F.A.); (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.C.P.); (L.V.); (P.S.)
| | - Agnese Feliciello
- IRCCS, St. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, via Massarenti 11, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (C.L.); (A.F.); (S.F.); (S.R.); (A.M.); (G.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Sonia Filoni
- IRCCS, St. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, via Massarenti 11, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (C.L.); (A.F.); (S.F.); (S.R.); (A.M.); (G.P.); (G.S.)
- Specialisation School in Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Care, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Largo del Pozzo, 71, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Sara Rossi
- IRCCS, St. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, via Massarenti 11, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (C.L.); (A.F.); (S.F.); (S.R.); (A.M.); (G.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Francesca Pulina
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.O.); (F.P.); (C.M.); (R.V.); (S.L.)
| | - Chiara Marcolin
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.O.); (F.P.); (C.M.); (R.V.); (S.L.)
| | - Renzo Vianello
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.O.); (F.P.); (C.M.); (R.V.); (S.L.)
| | - Enrico Toffalini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Ramacieri
- Unit of Histology, Embryology and Applied Biology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 8, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (F.A.); (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.C.P.); (L.V.); (P.S.)
| | - Anna Martelli
- IRCCS, St. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, via Massarenti 11, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (C.L.); (A.F.); (S.F.); (S.R.); (A.M.); (G.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Giulia Procaccini
- IRCCS, St. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, via Massarenti 11, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (C.L.); (A.F.); (S.F.); (S.R.); (A.M.); (G.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Giacomo Sperti
- IRCCS, St. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, via Massarenti 11, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (C.L.); (A.F.); (S.F.); (S.R.); (A.M.); (G.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Maria Caracausi
- Unit of Histology, Embryology and Applied Biology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 8, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (F.A.); (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.C.P.); (L.V.); (P.S.)
| | - Maria Chiara Pelleri
- Unit of Histology, Embryology and Applied Biology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 8, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (F.A.); (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.C.P.); (L.V.); (P.S.)
| | - Lorenza Vitale
- Unit of Histology, Embryology and Applied Biology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 8, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (F.A.); (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.C.P.); (L.V.); (P.S.)
| | - Gian Luca Pirazzoli
- Medical Department, Maggiore Hospital, Largo Nigrisoli 2, 40133 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Pierluigi Strippoli
- Unit of Histology, Embryology and Applied Biology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 8, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (F.A.); (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.C.P.); (L.V.); (P.S.)
| | - Guido Cocchi
- Neonatology Unit, St. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Allison Piovesan
- Unit of Histology, Embryology and Applied Biology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 8, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (F.A.); (G.R.); (M.C.); (M.C.P.); (L.V.); (P.S.)
| | - Silvia Lanfranchi
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.O.); (F.P.); (C.M.); (R.V.); (S.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Molinini RM, Koziol NA, Marcinowski EC, Hsu LY, Tripathi T, Harbourne RT, McCoy SW, Lobo MA, Bovaird JA, Dusing SC. Early motor skills predict the developmental trajectory of problem solving in young children with motor delays. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22123. [PMID: 33942902 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to quantify the relationship between early motor skills, such as sitting, and the development of problem-solving skills in children with motor delays. METHODS Motor (Gross Motor Function Measure) and problem-solving (Assessment of Problem-Solving in Play) skills of 134 children 7-16 months adjusted age at baseline with motor delay were assessed up to 5 times over 12 months. Participants were divided into two groups: mild and significant motor delay. RESULTS Motor and problem-solving scores had large (r's = 0.53-0.67) and statistically significant (p's > .01) correlations at all visits. Baseline motor skills predicted baseline and change in problem solving over time. The associations between motor and problem-solving skills were moderated by level of motor delay, with children with significant motor delay generally having stronger associations compared to those with mild motor delay. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that overall baseline motor skills are predictive of current and future development of problem-solving skills and that children with significant motor delay have a stronger and more stable association between motor and problem-solving skills over time. This highlights that children with motor delays are at risk for secondary delays in problem solving, and this risk increases as degree of motor delay increases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Molinini
- Motor Development Lab, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Natalie A Koziol
- Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Emily C Marcinowski
- School of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Lin-Ya Hsu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tanya Tripathi
- Pediatric and Rehabilitation Laboratory, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Regina T Harbourne
- Rangos School of Health Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sarah W McCoy
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Michele A Lobo
- Move to Learn Innovation Lab, Department of Physical Therapy and Biomechanics and Movement Science Program, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - James A Bovaird
- Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Stacey C Dusing
- Motor Development Lab, Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Destrebecqz A. The effect of motor development on cognition: an ethological perspective. Dev Med Child Neurol 2021; 63:369-370. [PMID: 33533046 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Destrebecqz
- Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Education, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
West KL, Iverson JM. Communication changes when infants begin to walk. Dev Sci 2021; 24:e13102. [PMID: 33556219 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Learning to walk allows infants to travel faster and farther and explore more of their environments. In turn, walking may have a cascading effect on infants' communication and subsequent responses from caregivers. We tested for an inflection point-a dramatic shift in the developmental progression-in infant communication and caregiver responses when infants started walking. We followed 25 infants longitudinally over 7 months surrounding the onset of walking (mean walk onset age = 11.76 months, SD = 1.56). After learning to walk, the pace of gesture growth (but not vocalization growth) increased substantially, and infants increasingly coordinated gestures and vocalizations with locomotion (e.g., by walking to a caregiver and showing off a toy bear). Consequently, caregivers had more opportunities to respond contingently to their infants during walking months compared to crawling months (e.g., "What did you find? Is that your bear?"). Changes in communication were amplified for infants who began walking at older ages, compared to younger walkers. Findings suggest that learning to walk marks a point in development when infants actively communicate in new ways, and consequently elicit rich verbal input from caregivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L West
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jana M Iverson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Oudgenoeg-Paz O, Mulder H. A perception-action approach to the early development of spatial cognition: The importance of active exploration. ENFANCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3917/enf2.211.0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
|
31
|
Toyama N. Developmental changes in infants’ object interactions across the transitional period from crawling to walking. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2020.1814730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Toyama
- School of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Brandone AC, Stout W, Moty K. Intentional action processing across the transition to crawling: Does the experience of self-locomotion impact infants' understanding of intentional actions? Infant Behav Dev 2020; 60:101470. [PMID: 32712566 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Motor developmental milestones in infancy, such as the transition to self-locomotion, have cascading implications for infants' social and cognitive development. The current studies aimed to add to this literature by exploring whether and how crawling experience impacts a key social-cognitive milestone achieved in infancy: the development of intentional action understanding. Study 1 used a cross-sectional, age-held-constant design to examine whether locomotor (n = 36) and prelocomotor (n = 36) infants differ in their ability to process a failed intentional reaching action. Study 2 (n = 124) further probed this question by assessing how variability in locomotor infants' experience maps onto variability in their failed intentional action understanding. Both studies also assessed infants' tendency to engage in triadic interactions to shed light on whether self-locomotion impacts intentional action understanding directly or indirectly via changes in infants' interactions with social partners. Altogether, results showed no evidence for the role of self-locomotion in the development of intentional action understanding. Locomotor and prelocomotor infants did not differ in their failed action understanding or levels of triadic engagement (Study 1) and individual differences in days of crawling experience, propensity to crawl during play, and maximum crawling speed failed to predict infants' intentional action understanding or triadic engagement (Study 2). Explanations for these null findings and alternative influences on the development of intentional action understanding are considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Wyntre Stout
- Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, United States
| | - Kelsey Moty
- Department of Psychology, New York University, United States
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Franchak JM. The ecology of infants’ perceptual-motor exploration. Curr Opin Psychol 2020; 32:110-114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
34
|
Yamamoto H, Sato A, Itakura S. Transition From Crawling to Walking Changes Gaze Communication Space in Everyday Infant-Parent Interaction. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2987. [PMID: 32116864 PMCID: PMC7025586 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of walking changes not only infants' locomotion itself but also infants' exploratory behavior and social interaction, such as gaze communication. To understand the ecological context in which gaze communication occurs and how it changes with walking development from the point of view of the spatial arrangement of infants, parents, and objects, we analyzed longitudinal data of daily eye contact scenes recorded from head-mounted eye trackers worn by parents as infants grew from 10 to 15.5 months, focusing on infant-parent distance and the number of objects between the dyad. A Bayesian state-space model revealed that the interpersonal distance at which infants initiated eye contact with their parents increased with the time ratio of walking to crawling. This result could not be explained by the developmental change in the amount of time that the infants were far from the parents, which is not limited to the gaze communication context. Moreover, the interpersonal distance at which the parents initiated eye contact with the infants did not increase with the time ratio of walking to crawling. The number of objects on the floor between infants and parents at the time of eye contact increased with interpersonal distance. Taken together, these results indicate that the transition from crawling to walking changes the ecological context in which infants initiate gaze communication to a visual environment characterized by a larger interpersonal distance and, therefore, more objects cluttered between the dyad. The present study has wider implications for the developmental change of shared attention in conjunction with walking development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Atsushi Sato
- Faculty of Human Development, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Shoji Itakura
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Center for Baby Science, Doshisha University, Kizugawa, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Gonzalez SL, Alvarez V, Nelson EL. Do Gross and Fine Motor Skills Differentially Contribute to Language Outcomes? A Systematic Review. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2670. [PMID: 31849775 PMCID: PMC6901663 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Changes in motor development provide children with new learning opportunities to interact with objects, their environment, and with caregivers. Previous research finds that both gross and fine motor skills are predictive of later language outcomes across early infancy and childhood. However, gross and fine motor skills afford different types of interactions. Thus, gross and fine motor skills may potentially differ in the developmental trajectories through which cascading changes in language may occur. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there are differences in the predictive capacities of gross and fine motor skills toward language outcomes across infancy and early childhood in typical development. Method: A systematic review of existing literature on motor-language cascades was conducted in across studies measuring gross and/or fine motor and language development in children from 0 to 5 years old. Searches were conducted in PsycINFO, PubMed, and MEDLINE. Keywords used were a combination of "gross motor," "fine motor," "motor performance," "motor development," or "psychomotor development" along with "language," "language development," or "communication skills." Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full texts based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 23 articles were retained. Of these, seven studies measured only gross motor skills, four studies measured only fine motor skills, and 12 studies measured both gross and fine motor skills in the same study. Studies used a variety of measures to assess gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and language development (e.g., parent report, in lab observations, standardized assessment), and findings varied based on analyses used. Results demonstrated that both gross and fine motor skills are related to language outcomes, but due to a smaller amount of studies testing fine motor skills, conclusions regarding whether one is more important for language outcomes cannot be drawn. Conclusions: We conclude that both gross and fine motor skills help foster language development from infancy to early childhood. Limitations regarding current knowledge regarding the mechanisms that underlie motor-language cascades are discussed, as well as the need for more studies on fine motor skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandy L. Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Veronica Alvarez
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Eliza L. Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Moore C, Dailey S, Garrison H, Amatuni A, Bergelson E. Point, walk, talk: Links between three early milestones, from observation and parental report. Dev Psychol 2019; 55:1579-1593. [PMID: 31094558 PMCID: PMC6892347 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Around their first birthdays, infants begin to point, walk, and talk. These abilities are appreciable both by researchers with strictly standardized criteria and caregivers with more relaxed notions of what each of these skills entails. Here, we compare the onsets of these skills and links among them across two data collection methods: observation and parental report. We examine pointing, walking, and talking in a sample of 44 infants studied longitudinally from 6 to 18 months. In this sample, links between pointing and vocabulary were tighter than those between walking and vocabulary, supporting a unified sociocommunicative growth account. Indeed, across several cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, pointers had larger vocabularies than their nonpointing peers. In contrast to previous work, this did not hold for walkers' versus crawlers' vocabularies in our sample. Comparing across data sources, we find that reported and observed estimates of the growing vocabulary and of age of walk onset were closely correlated, while agreement between parents and researchers on pointing onset and talking onset was weaker. Taken together, these results support a developmental account in which gesture and language are intertwined aspects of early communication and symbolic thinking, whereas the shift from crawling to walking appears indistinct from age in its relation with language. We conclude that pointing, walking, and talking are on similar timelines yet distinct from one another, and discuss methodological and theoretical implications in the context of early development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
|
37
|
Yamamoto H, Sato A, Itakura S. Eye tracking in an everyday environment reveals the interpersonal distance that affords infant-parent gaze communication. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10352. [PMID: 31316101 PMCID: PMC6637119 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46650-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique morphology of human eyes enables gaze communication at various ranges of interpersonal distance. Although gaze communication contributes to infants' social development, little is known about how infant-parent distance affects infants' visual experience in daily gaze communication. The present study conducted longitudinal observations of infant-parent face-to-face interactions in the home environment as 5 infants aged from 10 to 15.5 months. Using head-mounted eye trackers worn by parents, we evaluated infants' daily visual experience of 3138 eye contact scenes recorded from the infants' second-person perspective. The results of a hierarchical Bayesian statistical analysis suggest that certain levels of interpersonal distance afforded smooth interaction with eye contact. Eye contacts were not likely to be exchanged when the infant and parent were too close or too far apart. The number of continuing eye contacts showed an inverse U-shaped pattern with interpersonal distance, regardless of whether the eye contact was initiated by the infant or the parent. However, the interpersonal distance was larger when the infant initiated the eye contact than when the parent initiated it, suggesting that interpersonal distance affects the infant's and parent's social look differently. Overall, the present study indicates that interpersonal distance modulates infant-parent gaze communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Yamamoto
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Atsushi Sato
- Faculty of Human Development, University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
| | - Shoji Itakura
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.,Center for Baby Science, Doshisha University, 4-1-1 Kizugawadai, Kizugawa, 619-0225, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Gustison ML, Borjon JI, Takahashi DY, Ghazanfar AA. Vocal and locomotor coordination develops in association with the autonomic nervous system. eLife 2019; 8:e41853. [PMID: 31310236 PMCID: PMC6684270 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In adult animals, movement and vocalizations are coordinated, sometimes facilitating, and at other times inhibiting, each other. What is missing is how these different domains of motor control become coordinated over the course of development. We investigated how postural-locomotor behaviors may influence vocal development, and the role played by physiological arousal during their interactions. Using infant marmoset monkeys, we densely sampled vocal, postural and locomotor behaviors and estimated arousal fluctuations from electrocardiographic measures of heart rate. We found that vocalizations matured sooner than postural and locomotor skills, and that vocal-locomotor coordination improved with age and during elevated arousal levels. These results suggest that postural-locomotor maturity is not required for vocal development to occur, and that infants gradually improve coordination between vocalizations and body movement through a process that may be facilitated by arousal level changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan L Gustison
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Jeremy I Borjon
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of PsychologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Daniel Y Takahashi
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of PsychologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of PsychologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Infant motor skill predicts later expressive language and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Infant Behav Dev 2019; 54:37-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
40
|
Iverson JM. Early Motor and Communicative Development in Infants With an Older Sibling With Autism Spectrum Disorder. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2018; 61:2673-2684. [PMID: 30418495 PMCID: PMC6693573 DOI: 10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-rsaut-18-0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Purpose A recent approach to identifying early markers of risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been to study infants who have an older sibling with ASD. These infants are at heightened risk (HR) for ASD and for other developmental difficulties, and even those who do not receive an eventual ASD diagnosis manifest a high degree of variability in trajectories of development. The primary goal of this review is to summarize findings from research on early motor and communicative development in these HR infants. Method This review focuses on 2 lines of inquiry. The first assesses whether delays and atypicalities in early motor abilities and in the development of early communication provide an index of eventual ASD diagnosis. The second asks whether such delays also influence infants' interactions with objects and people in ways that exert far-reaching, cascading effects on development. Results HR infants who do and who do not receive a diagnosis of ASD vary widely in motor and communicative development. In addition, variation in infant motor and communicative development appears to have cascading effects on development, both on the emergence of behavior in other domains and on the broader learning environment. Conclusions Advances in communicative and language development are supported by advances in motor skill. When these advances are slowed and/or when new skills are not consolidated and remain challenging for the infant, the enhanced potential for exploration afforded by new abilities and the concomitant increase in opportunities for learning are reduced. Improving our understanding of communicative delays of the sort observed in ASD and developing effective intervention methods requires going beyond the individual to consider the constant, complex interplay between developing communicators and their environments. Presentation Video https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.7299308.
Collapse
|
41
|
Adolph KE, Hoch JE, Cole WG. Development (of Walking): 15 Suggestions. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:699-711. [PMID: 30032744 PMCID: PMC6145857 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Although a fundamental goal of developmental science is to identify general processes of change, developmental scientists rarely generalize beyond their specific content domains. As a first step toward a more unified approach to development, we offer 15 suggestions gleaned from a century of research on infant walking. These suggestions collectively address the multi-leveled nature of change processes, cascades of real-time and developmental events, the diversity of developmental trajectories, inter- and intraindividual variability, starting and ending points of development, the natural input for learning, and the roles of body, environment, and sociocultural context. We argue that these 15 suggestions are not limited to motor development, and we encourage researchers to consider them within their own areas of research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Adolph
- Psychology Department, 4 Washington Place, Room 415, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
| | - Justine E Hoch
- Psychology Department, 4 Washington Place, Room 415, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Whitney G Cole
- Psychology Department, 4 Washington Place, Room 415, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Nelson EL, Gonzalez SL, Coxe S, Campbell JM, Marcinowski EC, Michel GF. Toddler hand preference trajectories predict 3-year language outcome. Dev Psychobiol 2017; 59:876-887. [PMID: 28888047 PMCID: PMC5630522 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of work suggests that early motor experience affects development in unexpected domains. In the current study, children's hand preference for role-differentiated bimanual manipulation (RDBM) was measured at monthly intervals from 18 to 24 months of age (N = 90). At 3 years of age, children's language ability was assessed using the Preschool Language Scales 5th edition (PLS™-5). Three distinct RDBM hand preference trajectories were identified using latent class growth analysis: (1) children with a left hand preference but a moderate amount of right hand use; (2) children with a right hand preference but a moderate amount of left hand use; and (3) children with a right hand preference and only a mild amount of left hand use. Stability over time within all three trajectories indicated that children did not change hand use patterns from 18 to 24 months. Children with the greatest amount of preferred (i.e., right) hand use demonstrated higher expressive language scores compared to children in both trajectories with moderate levels of non-preferred hand use. Children with the greatest amount of right hand use also had higher scores for receptive language compared to children with a right hand preference but moderate left hand use. Results support that consistency in handedness as measured by the amount of preferred hand use is related to distal language outcomes in development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stefany Coxe
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University
| | | | | | - George F. Michel
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Schiavio A, van der Schyff D, Kruse-Weber S, Timmers R. When the Sound Becomes the Goal. 4E Cognition and Teleomusicality in Early Infancy. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1585. [PMID: 28993745 PMCID: PMC5622185 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper we explore early musical behaviors through the lenses of the recently emerged "4E" approach to mind, which sees cognitive processes as Embodied, Embedded, Enacted, and Extended. In doing so, we draw from a range of interdisciplinary research, engaging in critical and constructive discussions with both new findings and existing positions. In particular, we refer to observational research by French pedagogue and psychologist François Delalande, who examined infants' first "sound discoveries" and individuated three different musical "conducts" inspired by the "phases of the game" originally postulated by Piaget. Elaborating on such ideas we introduce the notion of "teleomusicality," which describes the goal-directed behaviors infants adopt to explore and play with sounds. This is distinguished from the developmentally earlier "protomusicality," which is based on music-like utterances, movements, and emotionally relevant interactions (e.g., with primary caregivers) that do not entail a primary focus on sound itself. The development from protomusicality to teleomusicality is discussed in terms of an "attentive shift" that occurs between 6 and 10 months of age. This forms the basis of a conceptual framework for early musical development that emphasizes the emergence of exploratory, goal-directed (i.e., sound-oriented), and self-organized musical actions in infancy. In line with this, we provide a preliminary taxonomy of teleomusical processes discussing "Original Teleomusical Acts" (OTAs) and "Constituted Teleomusical Acts" (CTAs). We argue that while OTAs can be easily witnessed in infants' exploratory behaviors, CTAs involve the mastery of more specific and complex goal-directed chains of actions central to musical activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Schiavio
- Institute for Music Education, University of Music and Performing ArtsGraz, Austria
- Department of Music, University of SheffieldSheffield, United Kingdom
- Centre for Systematic Musicology, University of GrazGraz, Austria
| | - Dylan van der Schyff
- Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Music, University of OxfordOxford, United Kingdom
| | - Silke Kruse-Weber
- Institute for Music Education, University of Music and Performing ArtsGraz, Austria
| | - Renee Timmers
- Department of Music, University of SheffieldSheffield, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Stevenson JL, Lindley CE, Murlo N. Retrospectively Assessed Early Motor and Current Pragmatic Language Skills in Autistic and Neurotypical Children. Percept Mot Skills 2017; 124:777-794. [DOI: 10.1177/0031512517710379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
45
|
Chang L, de Barbaro K, Deák G. Contingencies Between Infants’ Gaze, Vocal, and Manual Actions and Mothers’ Object-Naming: Longitudinal Changes From 4 to 9 Months. Dev Neuropsychol 2017; 41:342-361. [DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2016.1274313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Chang
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Kaya de Barbaro
- School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Gedeon Deák
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
| |
Collapse
|