ANALYSIS OF MOTOR DEVELOPMENT AND SEGMENTAL CONTROL OF THE TRUNK IN HEALTHY INFANTS AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT

Introduction: Child development involves the interaction between individual, task, and the environment, factors that influence the acquisition of motor skills during the first year of life. Biological and environmental aspects play a crucial role, especially in postural control in seated infants, which is essential for stability and mobility. Objective: to assess the association between motor performance, segmental trunk control, and environmental factors in full-term infants residing in the metropolitan area of Belém. Method: This observational, analytical, cross-sectional study included 16 infants aged 4–9 months enrolled in a Developmental Surveillance Program. Each infant’s motor development was assessed by a physiotherapist using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), trunk control using the Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control (SATCo), and the environmental factors they were exposed to were assessed based on caregivers' responses to the Affordances in the Home Environment for Motor Development – Infant Scale (AHEMD-IS). The infants were divided into two age groups: 4–6 months (n = 8) and 7–9 months (n = 8). Correlations between physical motor development scales and environmental assessment scales were analyzed. Results: A correlation of 0.866 (strong) was observed between the

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and SATCo scales for both age groups. The correlation between

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and AHEMD-IS was 0.982 (very strong) for the younger group and 0.622 (moderate) for the older group. Conclusion: Neurotypical children in environments rich in stimuli are more likely to develop postural trunk control and reach motor milestones within the expected timeframe.