Abstract
Purpose: Many studies examine improvements in walking after its emergence, but far less is known about the practice that precedes walking. We documented developmental trajectories of crawling and cruising in 10 infants prior to walking onset.
Methods: Using a naturalistic, home-based longitudinal design, we video-recorded one hour of spontaneous motor activity monthly from the point infants could cruise sideways continuously for six feet until walking began.
Results: On average, infants practiced for ~4 months between the onset of cruising and independent walking. Over this period, time spent cruising increased as crawling decreased; unintentional falls during cruising rose to a peak approximately three months before walking onset and then declined rapidly, whereas falls during crawling were rare.
Conclusions: These patterns indicate that infants accrue several months of upright practice in everyday settings, including exposure to and recovery from falls, before achieving independent walking. Findings suggest that interventions for infants with motor delays should emphasize high-repetition, functionally relevant practice, incorporate safe opportunities for failure and recovery, and use goal-directed tasks that elicit progressively advanced motor control.