MOTOR INTERVENTION TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF GROSS MOTOR SKILLS, REACHING BEHAVIOR AND EXPLORATORY ACTIONS OF 6-MONTH-OLD INSTITUTIONALIZED INFANTS.

• Grant number: 13/11128-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: February 01, 2014
• End date: September 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Eloisa Tudella
• Grantee: Thais Invenção Cabral
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Being institutionalized is a condition of risk to developmental delays in infants. Six-month-old institutionalized infants can present delays in the development of motor gross skills, reaching behavior and exploratory actions. Thus, motor intervention programs can favor the acquisition and development of such abilities. The objectives of this study are to detect and intervene on the alterations of motor gross skills, reaching behavior and exploratory actions of infants by applying a motor intervention proposal to 6-month-old institutionalized infants. Participants will be allocated into experimental and control groups. Experimental group will be composed of 6-month-old institutionalized infants from a medium city of São Paulo, whereas non-institutionalized infants paired by age and sex will compose the control group. Because this study will investigate the microsystem of a child care institution and this is an understudied theme in the literature, it can bring out academic and social contributions. It is expected that the intervention program will be efficient to enhance the neuropsychomotor development of the institutionalized infants, minimizing delays that may be present as a result of their exposure to biopsychosocial risks in an institutional condition.