Pedoscope studies on neonatal activity and center of gravity after delivery

Seventeen normal term infants delivered at the Jikei University School of Medicine were placed daily on a pedoscope in the supine and prone position after birth, and the movement of the gravity center and changes in the activities of the extremities were assessed. The results indicated that both the activity of the extremities and the movement of the gravity center were sluggish after birth, that both increased to reach peaks within 1 to 3 days, and that then temporary decreases occurred before they increased again. The probable reason for the temporary decrease in activity may be habituation or a decrement in the infant, and it is also presumed that the increase in activity after the transitory decrease reflects natural development.