Visually guided reaching and waking behavior in early infancy

Abstract

Alert wakefulness is a critical aspect of state regulation in early infancy, yet little is known of this process. This study sought to examine how brief periods of unstable waking transition into more stable stages of alert wakefulness. Fifteen infants were videotaped as they woke from naps beginning at 3-4 weeks of age and followed weekly until they were 24 weeks of age. Infant reaching for a rod was recorded beginning at 12 weeks to determine onset of visually guided reaching. Infants who exhibited longer transitions from sleep to more alert state showed a later onset of visually guided reaching suggesting state organization and transitions seem to be an early indicator of behavioral coordination that predicts t rate of cognitive development.