Unweighting infants reveals hidden motor skills

We investigated the role of rate limiting factors in development using walking as a model system. The achievement of bipedal posture and locomotion are among the most significant achievements in an infant's first year, with poor balance and weak muscles long proposed as the rate limiting factors. Compensating for either may reveal upright motor skill that has not yet emerged in the infant's natural repertoire. To probe this question, we unweighted prewalking infants and measured their performance in various standing and walking behaviors while unweighted compared to baseline. Our secondary objective was to determine if the influence of unweighting was related to infants’ locomotor experience. Infants stood unsupported for longer durations with 20% or 40% unweighting. Infants took more independent steps and more steps with one hand held with 40% unweighting. No differences in transition to/from standing were observed. Locomotor experience was related to the influence of unweighting during cruising and walking with a push toy. This is the first report of more advanced motor skills—longer periods of unsupported standing and the emergence of independent walking—revealed by unweighting infants. We interpret our observations to suggest that the refinement of motor control needed to support bipedal posture and locomotion precedes the functional emergence of these skills in infants. In other words, the musculoskeletal components required for walking are slower to develop than the neurological factors – and consequently may be the rate limiters. We further suggest that training regimens including unweighting should be explored in infants with motor delays.