TY - JOUR

T1 - Motor asymmetries in the human newborn are state dependent, but independent of position in space

AU - Rönnqvist, Louise

AU - Hopkins, Brian

PY - 2000/10/1

Y1 - 2000/10/1

N2 - Human newborns have a preference for turning and maintaining the head to one side of the body. Most studies confirm a right-sided preference in supine. Few have addressed the state dependency of this lateral bias, and even fewer have examined whether it is also expressed in the semi-upright position. We investigated whether it varies as a function of behavioural state and position in space. Kinematic recordings of head movements were made with the newborn secured on a platform in the supine or semi-upright position, which alleviated biomechanical and postural constraints imposed by gravity. Newborns differed as to whether they had a vertex, Caesarean or breech delivery. The majority of infants maintained a right-sided preference in both positions, but it was strongly mediated by state. Delivery type did not account for any lateral bias. These findings provide convincing evidence that a lateral bias in movement and positioning of the head are reflections of active neural processes rooted in the regulation of state

AB - Human newborns have a preference for turning and maintaining the head to one side of the body. Most studies confirm a right-sided preference in supine. Few have addressed the state dependency of this lateral bias, and even fewer have examined whether it is also expressed in the semi-upright position. We investigated whether it varies as a function of behavioural state and position in space. Kinematic recordings of head movements were made with the newborn secured on a platform in the supine or semi-upright position, which alleviated biomechanical and postural constraints imposed by gravity. Newborns differed as to whether they had a vertex, Caesarean or breech delivery. The majority of infants maintained a right-sided preference in both positions, but it was strongly mediated by state. Delivery type did not account for any lateral bias. These findings provide convincing evidence that a lateral bias in movement and positioning of the head are reflections of active neural processes rooted in the regulation of state

KW - Human newborns

KW - Head position preference

KW - Head movements

KW - Behavioural state

KW - Delivery type

U2 - 10.1007/s002210000467

DO - 10.1007/s002210000467

M3 - Journal article

VL - 134

SP - 378

EP - 384

JO - Experimental Brain Research

JF - Experimental Brain Research

SN - 0014-4819

IS - 3

ER -