A French retrospective transversal investigation on the choice of sleeping and waking positions and their effects on infant motor development was conducted using a questionnaire adressed to parents of 148 12-to-18 month-old children concerning the lying position during sleep or awake states. During sleep, 49% of our samples were placed on their backs during the first 4 months of life, and while awake, 9% of the infants were placed in prone. We found asignifiant relationship between sleep position and some motor milestones. Infants sleeping only on back attained all skills later and without passing rolling, creeping, and crawling compared to infants sleeping on side or back-and-side position in the first quarter of life. However, awake position and motor education can contribute to the emergence of a sequential motor development, wich specifies quality of coordination.
Revue européenne de psychologie appliquée 55 (2005)1-8. Laurence Vaivre-Douret, Carla Dos Santos, Christiane Charlemaine, Dominique Cabrol.