Citation

Pontius AA. Percept. Mot. Skills 1973; 37(1): 235.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1973, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The newborn has protective mechanisms against most overstimulation through the special sense modalities. By contrast, he is forced to react with stereotyped motion when his reflexes, e.g., the "walking" and placing reflexes, are elicited through exercises and at times even beyond the normal prevalence of the walking reflex (until 8 wk of age). This interferes with the normal newborn's phases of motor quiescence and reflex inhibition probably due to cortical inhibition. Questions are raised about long-range neurological implications of such an overemphasis on the lowest level of motor integration at a time when not even the pyramidal tracts have matured sufficiently to make voluntary walking possible. Clinical observations by M. J. Simpkiss and A. S. Raikes point to detrimental effects of too early use of "baby-walkers" even at 3 mo of age.

Language: en