Motor development during the first 6 months: The case of Brazilian infants

This investigation documents the pattern of motor development of Brazilian infants over the first 6 months and compares the findings with a US norm. Infants were assessed once each month for the 6-month period using the Bayley II Motor Scale, which represented the US norm for comparison. Participants monthly scores increased with age and were similar to the US profile. However, the Brazilian infants did exhibit mean scores significantly lower than their counterparts on tasks of sitting and grasping in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th month; at the 6th month, scores were comparable. Explanations for differences focus on possible cross-cultural and maturational influences. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.9316116