Spontaneous Kicking in Fullterm and Preterm Infants: Intralimb and Interlimb Coordination

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe development of intralimb and interlimb synergies during spontaneous kicking were examined in a longitudinal study of fullterm and preterm infants who were tested at 4 weekly intervals from 8 weeks to 20 weeks of age. The degree of coupling between the hip, knee, and ankle joints of each leg and between the same joint of both legs was studied using time-series analyses that determined the cross correlations and phase lags between joint angles. The findings of the current study do not support the argument that interlimb coordination followed a similar pattern to intralimb coordination (Thelen, 1985), as different patterns of development emerged for interlimb and intralimb coordination. In addition, developmental differences were evident for the preterm infants despite correcting for age.