MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Professor Hermundur Sigmundsson
Department of Psychology
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: There are around 23 baby-swimming instructors in Iceland who are offering baby swimming-courses. However, Snorris way to do this is unice after my knowledge.
He has been doing baby swimming from 1990 - and has had around 7.000.- babies
He heard about this from Norway and discovered that very young babies can stand in this way. He discovered this through practical experience.
It works like this: When holding children in the water - He put his hand under the feet of the children - and lift little bit under i.e gives some pressure (tactile stimuli) the children are gradually able to stand in the feet - so stimuli and experience is important. When they are able to stand once they are able to stand again.
How long time it takes for each baby to be able to stand varies a lot - as in our study - the youngest was 3.6 months old. One of the participants was standing in 15 sec in the hands of Snorri in the first week of baby swimming course.
I did see babies stand first soon after Snorri started baby swimming instruction around 1990-1991.
I was very surprised - and was thinking how is it possible? This is not supported by the literature. My colleagues an I thought about this as a window to study development of balance and coordination in infants. The issue about reflexes versus voluntary movement through experience was central.
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