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Fetal handedness and head position preference: a developmental study.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
  • J. I. P. De Vries
  • R. H. Wimmers
  • I. A. P. Ververs
  • Brian Hopkins
  • G. J. P. Savelsbergh
  • H. P. Van Geijn
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>11/2001
<mark>Journal</mark>Developmental Psychobiology
Issue number3
Volume39
Number of pages8
Pages (from-to)171-178
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Hand-head contacts were observed by means of serial ultrasound recordings in 10 healthy fetuses from 12 to 38 weeks of gestational age. Contacts were distinguished as being unimanual or bimanual, and if unimanual, whether they were made with the right or left hand. Both types of contact and ones made unimanually with the right or left hand were identified at each age as to whether they were associated with a preferential head position. A strong unimanual bias was evident at each age except for Week 36. At this age, there was a bimanual bias. Unimanual contacts did not develop a lateralized preference, and neither type of contact established a stable relationship with head position. Furthermore, there was no evidence to support the suggestion that hand contact and head position codevelop to form a preferred ipsilateral synergy. Findings are discussed relative to contradictory evidence from other fetal and neonatal studies.