With the waning of the tonic neck reflex beginning with the 8th to 12th week, and disappearing, in most instances, by the 16th week, the infant begins to become bilateral and makes symmetrical movements and engages his hands in the midline usually over the chest while in a supine position. The developmental significance of such behavior is considered--for example, its participation in the emerging sense of self and its role in the consolidation of emerging ego skills. Consideration is given to the possible implications of faulty midline behavior for development, and to whether failure to engage in an optimal amount of midline behavior, in interaction with other factors, can be used to alert observers to possible future developmental disturbances.

This article reports on a clinical program that has been an obligatory part of the training of child psychiatrists since 1976. It consists of following infant and parent development through the first postnatal year. Although the families who volunteer to participate are not selected on the basis of identified problems or risks, intervention was indicated on several occasions. This training experience has been highly valued by child psychiatrists. It also performed functions of primary prevention. It is suggested that if such training programs were established at other institutions and in other clinical fields, the primary prevention of emotional disorders would significantly be promoted.