A comparison of parental attention and preferred items during tummy time: A consecutive controlled case series evaluation
A preferred toy keeps tummy time calm as well as parent attention, and parents like it better.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kanazawa et al. (2024) watched babies during tummy time. They gave each baby two things on different days: a favorite toy or a parent talking and rubbing their back.
They tracked how long the baby held their head up and how much they cried. Parents also said which method they liked better.
What they found
Both the toy and the parent attention worked. Babies lifted their heads more and fussed less with either help.
When parents picked, they chose the toy condition. They said it felt easier to do at home.
How this fits with other research
Morea et al. (2020) already showed that a single favorite toy beats no toy. Kanazawa adds a new test: toy versus parent attention alone.
Ortega et al. (2015) looked at toy plus parent attention together and saw the best results. The new study flips the question: if you can use only one, the toy works just as well and parents prefer it.
Together, the three papers draw a simple line: no help < toy alone = parent attention < toy plus parent attention. You can pick the step that fits your family.
Why it matters
BCBAs coaching new parents can give two choices: bring a special toy or get on the floor and cheer. Both cut crying and build neck strength, so let the parent decide. If they want the easiest option, hand them a rattle and move on to the next goal.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Tummy time is an activity for infants to practice their early motor skills. Although most pediatricians recommend tummy time, parents may avoid the procedures due to indices of infant discomfort during this period. This consecutive controlled case series evaluation compared the effects of preferred items selected from a preference assessment with those of parental attention on head evaluation and negative vocalizations during tummy time. In addition, we directly evaluated parental choice by inviting parents to select which tummy time treatment they wanted to implement. We found that both preferred items and parental attention effectively increased head elevation and decreased negative vocalizations during tummy time; however, parents tended to prefer the treatment that included the preferred item.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2024 · doi:10.1002/jaba.1061