Parental practices and knowledge: an associative study on children’s motor skills acquisitions

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the associations between caregivers practices and knowledge and the  motor performance of children from zero to two years of age. 53 children were assessed with the Peabody  Developmental Motor Scale-2. Their family members  answered the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory, the Daily Activities of Infant Scale, and the  questionnaire of the Brazilian Association of Research. Significant correlations were identified between motor performance and length (p=0.001) and current  weight of the child (p=0.005). Regarding parenting  practices, significant correlations were observed  between the motor performance and with the child’s  postures during feeding (p≤0.002), bathing (p≤0.001),  changes of clothes (p=0.024), sleep  (p=0.035), being held (p=0.001), as well as with quiet  (p=0.003) and active (p=0.024) play, and outside  activities (p=0.004). The regression analysis showed  significant model with changes in postures during  feeding and child cleaning and change as well as the  active play explained 79% of variance of motor  performance (p<0.001). Opportunities to change  postures during feeding, hygiene routine, active play,  impact the acquisition of more sophisticated motor  skills in the first two years of life.