Longitudinal effects of unimodal and multimodal stimulation on development and interaction of healthy infants

Abstract

The effects of unimodal and multimodal stimulation on mental, psychomotor, and behavioral development of healthy full-term infants were examined longitudinally. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group or one of three experimental conditions: daily administration of a stroking procedure, placement on a multisensory hammock during sleep periods, or a combination of the two treatments. Interventions were conducted during the first 3 months of life. Data are presented on 49 infants who were available for 24-month follow up. The experimental conditions did not significantly affect scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Eyberg's Child Behavior Inventory, the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scales, or the HOME. These findings suggest that supplementary stimulation provided no benefits beyond those associated with natural caregiving and raise questions about the value of the interventions with nonrisk infants in middle-class families. Additional studies need to be conducted with larger samples of healthy infants to test sensory stimulation protocols before they are advocated for widespread consumer use.