Effect of the Tummy Time on infant motor milestones
TUMMY TIME; PRONE POSITION; NEWBORN; CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Aim: To identify the repercussions of Tummy Time in reaching the milestones of infants between 0 to 6 months. Method: An exploratory study carried out with 71 caregivers of babies, between 0 and 6 months, attended in a public maternity and child health care service. Sociodemographic data, information of pregnancy, childbirth and of the newborn were collected through a structured interview, and the investigation on the Tummy Time, evaluated from the child’s care, their motor milestones to the parents' familiarity with the practice of Tummy Time. The results were stratified into two groups (Tummy Time and Control) and the motor milestones were quantified in typical or atypical, according to the expected development for age. Results: 72 families were evaluated and 71 included in the analysis, 39 were allocated to Tummy Time group. Lifetime (1.6 to 4.2 months; p = 0.85), gestational age (31 to 42 weeks; p = 0.39), birth weight (1160 to 5000 grams; p = 0.32 ), and Apgar (5 to 10; p = 0.9), were not different between groups. In the comparison between the groups, the majority of infants who reached the expected motor milestone (70%) were in the group submitted to the Tummy Time daily, while the majority with atypical development (69%) belonged to the Control Group, finding a positive association between the realization of the Tummy Time and the achievement of motor milestones (p = 0.0014). Conclusions: The acquisition of motor milestone predominated in the group that practiced the Tummy Time daily, suggesting, within its limitations, the influence of the method on neuropsychomotor development