["Liberated" motricity by holding the head during the first weeks of life (author's transl)].
The instability of the head disturbs neonatal motricity. However, when the head is held during a long period of observation (30 minutes) a motricity called "liberated" motricity, probably cortical in origin can be induced. 246 children, less than 8 weeks of age, have been examined while they were sitting on a bench and while their attention was kept in alert by the examinator who was holding their heads. In 97% of cases, the reflex motricity calms down and the following signs can be observed: (a) a stage of intense communication with the examinator, (b) then, the trunk straights up and the limbs become quiet and make movements which recall those of an older infant (43,5%), at least, there is a real interest for a toy, either looked at without gestures (39%), or touched and taken in an intentional way (19%). The theorical interest of this study is to get a new aspect of the normality of neonatal motricity. The clinical knowledge is still too recent to help detecting brain damage.
D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000523:psychology*; D009043:Motor Activity; D009048:Motor Skills; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012149:Restraint, Physical
La "motricité libérée" par fixation manuelle de la nuque au cours des premières semaines de la vie.