A Longitudinal Analysis Examining the Associations of Tummy Time With Active Playtime, Screen Time, and Sleep Time.

Abstract

BACKGROUND\nEvidence links tummy time (ie,\xa0the time spent in awake prone positioning that is encouraged and supervised by an adult) to infants health outcomes such as gross motor and total development. However, the associations between tummy time and other movement and sleep behaviors as the child develops remain unknown. The aim of this study was to examine whether early introduction and practice of tummy time within the first 6\xa0months of age were associated with active and outdoor playtime, screen time, and nocturnal sleep time of children when they were 12 and 24 months old.\n\n\nMETHODS\nA longitudinal analysis was conducted using data extracted from an Australian trial. Using telephone surveys with mothers, demographic data were collected from third trimester of pregnancy and tummy time data were collected at 6 months of age. Data on playtime, screen time, and nocturnal sleep duration as dependent variables were collected at 12 and 24 months of age. Multiple logistic regression models were built to investigate the associations.\n\n\nRESULTS\nChildren who started tummy time within 4\xa0weeks of age were more likely to have >10\xa0hours sleep at night at 12 months (adjusted odds ratio 1.54, 95% confidence interval, 1.08-2.19). They were more likely to have >3\xa0hours per day of outdoor play and have <1\xa0hour per day of screen time at 24 months. Children who practiced tummy time every day were more likely to have >2\xa0hours per day of active play at 12 months and have <1\xa0hour per day of screen time at 24 months.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nStarting tummy time earlier and frequently was associated with more favorable movement and sleep of young children at 12 and 24 months of age.