Course:KIN355/2020 Projects/Body Roll

Force creation and stability at the time of projection

Defining the Concept and Its Importance

Body roll refers to the rotational movement of the trunk when the body is positioned horizontally, such as laying on the floor in a prone (on the stomach) or supine (on the back) position (Rihar, Mihelj, Pašič, Sgandurra, Cecchi, Cioni, Dario, & Munih, 2019). Body roll or “rolling over” occurs segmentally, meaning that the head and neck guide the rest of the body into movement. This early voluntary movement pattern can be broken down into components, all of which have their own age of acquisition (Payne & Isaacs, 2011).

As an educator and caretaker, it is important to understand the general timeline of progressions for a body roll. The following movement patterns listed below is simply template for the general public of when the infants acquire the skill (Payne & Isaacs, 2011). However, they do not account for individual experiences and other factors that contribute to motor milestone acquisition in an infant.

Sides to their back – 2 months

Supine or prone to side – 4 months

Supine to prone – 6 months

Prone to supine – 8 months

Floor-based playtime for infants to have floor-based play time play a crucial role in the development of gross motor skills (Babysparks, 2017; Rihar et al., 2019). To ensure adequate motor skill acquisition, infants should have at least 30 minutes of age appropriate play, known as tummy time, throughout the day (Gerber, Wilks, & Erdie-Lalena, 2010; Participaction, 2020). This floor-based play provides infants with the opportunity to attain gross motor skills, such as rolling over and eventually sitting upright (Majnemer & Barr, 2005).

In early infancy, the brain is most impressionable. In this stage, when infants are discovering new enviroments and having new interactions, they are receiving new stimuli for their development (Center on the Developing Child, 2007). Performing body rolls will stimulate the sensory development of the infant in areas like the vestibular, proprioceptive, vision, auditory, eventual language skills and even higher cognitive functions (Babysparks, 2017; Center on the Developing Child, 2007). This sensory development provides infants with an internal sense of their bodies: where their body parts are in relation to objects around them, and how they can move in order to complete a task (Babysparks, 2017; Bredin, 2020). Rolling over allows infants to utilize their internal senses to interact with their environment as they are exposed to external stimuli (Babysparks, 2017; Rihar et al., 2019). As infants increase body roll movement, they begin to strengthen their sensory integration, receiving information obtained by our senses and organizing it to carry out particular tasks to interact with the environment (Bredin, 2020). This allows infants to react to things of interest and parents can create a dialogue to what their child is seeing, which generates interactions and motivates the infant to continue exploratory play (Babysparks, 2017).

Role in Childhood Development and Contemporary Considerations

A body roll is a rudimentary motor skill that will allow infants to strengthen muscles that are essential for other movements. Rolling over will help develop pelvis and trunk muscles for when an infant is able to sit up unassisted (Babysparks, 2017). Arm strength is also important to help infants roll over, push off the floor, crawl, and pull themselves up to stand (Babysparks, 2017; Gerber, Wilks, & Erdie-Lalena, 2010). A body roll is an infant’s first form of independent movement involving the entire body (Payne & Isaacs, 2011). Adequate strength from muscles, appropriate balancing and coordination must also be involved for success of this movement pattern (Babysparks, 2017). The ability to body roll will set the stage for future independent and voluntary movement, which is essential in gross motor development (Gerber, Wilks, & Erdie-Lalena, 2010).

There is an abundance of information on parenting with a seemingly endless supply of sources containing conflicting advice. One example is the developmental differences in achieving motor milestones in retrospect to sleeping and play positions—supine compared to prone (Davis, Moon, Sachs, & Ottolini, 1998; Majnemer & Barr, 2005). In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a recommendation to place infants on their sides or back when sleeping to minimize sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which can occur when an infant is placed in the prone position (Davis, Moon, Sachs, & Ottolini, 1998). Many parents admit that they will not place their child prone to sleep or play when awake because they are afraid of SIDS (Davis, Moon, Sachs, & Ottolini, 1998; Majnemer & Barr, 2005). However, findings address the importance of tummy time in correlation with motor skill development (Babysparks, 2017; Davis, Moon, Sachs, & Ottolini, 1998; Majnemer & Barr, 2005; Participaction, 2020). Furthermore, research suggests that greater exposure to the prone position, both sleeping and awake, will enhance the ability to perform a body roll (Davis, Moon, Sachs, & Ottolini, 1998; Gerber, Wilks, & Erdie-Lalena, 2010; Majnemer & Barr, 2005). Ultimately, a body roll is an important motor milestone, which will help facilitate other fundamental movement skills (Babysparks, 2017; Gerber, Wilks, & Erdie-Lalena, 2010).

Studies have reported that infants sleeping in a supine position can delay the acquisition of motor milestones. However, this is only in comparision to prone sleeping positions. Additionally, studies acknowledge that if an infant sleeps in a supine position, it does not mean that they will reach motor milestones below the recommended age landmarks (Davis, Moon, Sachs, & Ottolini, 1998; Majnemer & Barr, 2005). Therefore, parents should not worry if their child protests being in a prone position, as it requires strength, infants may not feel comfortable yet. There are alternatives to tummy time that will increase infant comfort levels in the prone position (Babysparks, 2017). A body roll involves movement from all positions, so it is necessary for infants to experience supine play time, in which sensory development and environmental experiences can also be achieved.

Although it is essential to progress through motor milestones, parents should not overstress in regards to their children reaching the body roll milestone, as these are only guidelines and every child will develop at their own pace (Babysparks, 2019). Each milestone prepares a child for the next one, therefore, parents should do their best to encourage the current stage rather than trying to progress to a future milestone, causing children to miss developmental opportunities (Babysparks, 2019).

Practical Applications

The purpose of the following exercises introduce the progressions into achieving a body roll from the perspective of an infant. The infantile age range is from the moment of birth to 12 months of age (Payne & Isaacs, 2011). Since the activities are not games, parents and guardians are encouraged to participate and faciliate a safe environment for these exercises.

The typical age of acquiring the body roll varies depending on the baby. There are many factors involved that can affect the development of the infant. In a study conducted by Nelson, Yu, Wong D., Wong H. Y., & Yim (2004), infants raised in environments where many layers of clothing were worn, experience motor milestone delays. As well, infants who were constantly carried around from birth and had limited tummy time throughout the day experienced delays. Thus, further supporting the importance of tummy time in early infancy (Nelson et al., 2004). In contemporary guidelines and studies, the general accepted timeline of acquirement is five to nine months old, with later stages showing higher proficiency (Hewitt, Stanley, Cliff, & Okely, 2019). The following activities described below are acceptable for infants who are two months old.

To facilitate a safe space for the infant, baby-friendly materials must be considered. Start off with setting up a clean and hypoallergenic blanket on a firm, but not hard surface (i.e. a mattress, a mat, or a carpet). It is recommended that the infant wears thinner and less restrictive clothing (Nelson et al., 2004). This way, when the infant attempts to move,they are not restricted by their clothing. As well, toys that are color contrasting will be used. Please ensure that these items are infant safe and choke hazard free.

For the first activity, the purpose is to coax the infant into movement. This is exercise is great for an infant in the early stages of life. They have yet acquired the strength needed to move voluntarily. The toy will act as a guide for their attention and to be used as motivation to move in that direction.

Start off placing the infant in a supinated position and prepare a couple toys and objects. In the two directions relative to the baby, spend 15 minutes in each position. Place a toy within just out of reach on one side, and turn the babies head in that direction. The toy is meant to get their attention and motivate them into reaching for it. . We want the infant to engage with the toy, but still be challenged in to moving. To make it easier for the infant, the parent/ guardian can hold it 45 degrees above the baby in one direction, and coax them into moving their body and limbs.The end goal is to have the infant reach out and turn with their upper body, and progress into a segmental roll from the supinated position to prone.

The next phase is to place the infant onto their sides completely. The purpose of this stage is to get the infant comfortable facing sideways. Essentially, in a body roll, it is a 180 degree flip. We want to expose the infant to as much of the range of motion required for the roll to familiarize them to it. When the infant is placed into position, place a toy directly in their line of vision. The purpose of this is to have the infant engage with the toy. Spend 30 minutes each in these two positions. To wrap everything up, place the infant into a prone position, and lay out toys and objects in a semi-circle in front of them. That way, when they're engaging in tummy time, they have a variety of objects to keep them interested. The toys will act as motivation for them to lift their heads and turn.

Note, in the first three months of the infant’s development, many movements are involuntary and reflexive (Payne & Isaacs, 2011). As they continue to grow, these reflexes will slowly disappear and become less prominent, and the arms and leg movements become more purposeful.

For the next activity, it will require the parents and caretakers to get involved. The target of this activity is to address the supine to prone roll. By practicing different positions in the previous activity, the infant is at a stage of familiarity with the different phases of movement.

Start off by placing the infant in a supinated position. Place a toy on one side of the baby as a reference point. Take one arm and place it underneath their upper back with the hand gently supporting the head and neck area. In this position, slowly increase the degrees of incline for the baby to turn in one position. The idea is to tilt them to one side slightly, and use the toy to guide them with voluntary limb movements and have them eventually turn on their own to their tummy. As the infant gets stronger and more comfortable with the movement, the incline of the assisting hand will decrease to a point where they can turn from their backs to their tummy with limited assistance.

The reason the hand is supporting the upper body first is because of the segmental progression that typically occurs from a body roll (Kobayashi, Watanabe, & Taga, 2016). By giving a little boost in that aspect, infants are able to get an idea of which part of their body leads first. Although passive guidance is not as effective as active voluntary movement, it can be beneficial to infants who do not already possess the musculature to produce the body roll (Beets, Mace, Meesen, Cuypers, Levin & Swinnen, 2012).

As the child becomes more efficient in their movements, they will begin to pick a side for lateral dominance (Bredin, 2020). Please note to not discourage turning to one side all the time. It is crucial for the child to pick dominant side. In later years, it develops into a dominant hand and leg. If we were to artificially choose a dominant side on their behalf, it can affect their contralateral brain developent (Kylie, 2012).

Summary

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References

Babysparks. (2017). Rolling Over: AN Important Milestone for Movement, Sensory-Motor Integration and Language. Retrieved from https://babysparks.com/2017/04/02/rolling-over-an-important-milestone-for-movement-sensory-motor-integration-language/

Babysparks. (2019). Early Milestones, Smarter Child?. Retrieved from https://babysparks.com/2019/02/15/early-milestones-smarter-child/

Beets, I. A. M., Mace, M., Meesen, R. L. J., Cuypers, K., Levin, O. & Swinnen, S. P. (2012). Active versus passive training of a complex bimanual task: Is prescriptive proprioceptive information sufficient for inducing motor learning? Public Library of Science. 7(5). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037687

Bredin, S. (2020). KIN 355. Module 4. Developing Fundamentals of Movement.

Center on the Developing Child (2007). The Science of Early Childhood Development (InBrief). Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.

Davis, B. E., Moon, R. Y., Sachs, H. C., & Ottolini, M. C. (1998). Effects of sleep position on infant motor development. Pediatrics, 102(5), 1135-1140.

Gerber, R. J., Wilks, T., & Erdie-Lalena, C. (2010). Developmental milestones: motor development. Pediatrics in Review, 31(7), 267-277.

Hewitt, L., Stanley, R. M., Cliff, D., & Okely, A. D. (2019). Objective measurement of tummy time in infants (0-6 months): A validation study. Public Library of Science. 14(2). Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1371/journal.pone.0210977

Kobayashi, Y., Watanabe, H., & Taga, G. (2016). Movement patterns of limb coordination in infant rolling. Experimental Brain Research. 234, 3433-3445. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1007/s00221-016-4741-2

Kylie, C. (2012). 10 tips for helping babies learn to roll. MamaOT. Retrieved from http://mamaot.com/10-tips-for-helping-babies-learn-to-roll/

Majnemer, A., & Barr, R. G. (2005). Influence of supine sleep positioning on early motor milestone acquisition. Developmental medicine & child neurology, 47(6), 370-376.

Nelson, E. A., Yu, L. M., Wong, D., Wong, H. Y., & Yim, L. (2004). Rolling over in infants: Age, ethnicity, and cultural differences. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 46(10), 706-709. DOI: 10.1017/S0012162204001185

ParticipACTION. 2020. Benefits and Guidelines: The Early Years 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.participaction.com/en-ca/benefits-and-guidelines/early-years-0-to-4

Payne, V. G., & Isaacs, L. (2011). Human motor development: A lifespan approach. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Publishing.

Rihar, A., Mihelj, M., Pašič, J., Sgandurra, G., Cecchi, F., Cioni, G., Dario, P., & Munih, M. (2019). Infant posture and movement analysis using a sensor-supported gym with toys. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, 57(2), 427-439.