HEAD POSITION PREFERENCE IN THE HUMAN NEWBORN - A NEW LOOK

Head position preference was studied in 20 awake newborns who differed in terms of delivery and sex. They were placed supine on a custom-bui lt platform to reduce the effects of gravity and asymmetries in trunk posture and skull shape. A global and a specific scoring method were u sed, the infants being in State 3 (quiet wakefulness) or 4 (active wak efulness, excluding crying). Delivery and sex did not account for diff erences in head position. The head turned more often to the right and was maintained longer in this position during State 3, regardless of s coring method. The maintenance of the head in midline was comparable i n duration to that reported for infants at 2-3 months when using the g lobal scoring method. This suggests that the neural mechanisms respons ible for attaining and maintaining a midline position are present at b irth, but are not functionally expressed due to a lack of adequate pow er in the antigravity muscles of the neck.