Spontaneous baby movements have purpose

Published on December 29, 2022

Just as a baby’s first steps are guided by random wiggling and tumbling, researchers have discovered that their spontaneous movements serve a purpose in their development. By studying newborns and infants through detailed motion capture and computer models, scientists unraveled the intricate communication between muscles and sensations in the body. They found that the random exploratory behavior of babies sparks specific patterns of muscle interaction, which later evolve into coordinated movements. This breakthrough sheds light on how our sensorimotor system gradually takes shape, offering clues about the origins of human motion and potential early detection of developmental disorders. Dive into the research to uncover the surprising ways in which a baby’s natural movements mold their future abilities!

Spontaneous, random baby movements aid development of their sensorimotor system, according to new research. Detailed motion capture of newborns and infants was combined with a musculoskeletal computer model, to enable researchers to analyze communication among muscles and sensation across the whole body. Researchers found patterns of muscle interaction developing based on the babies’ random exploratory behavior, that would later enable them to perform sequential movements as infants. Better understanding how our sensorimotor system develops could help us gain insight into the origin of human movement as well as earlier diagnosis of developmental disorders.

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