The existence of an "integrated sensorimotor system" in new-born humans

Abstract

This paper discusses the existence of an "integrated sensorimotor system" triggered by the infl uence of an oral gustatory stimulus on the incidence of hand contact on the mouth region, in newborn babies aged up to 36 hours and in different behavioral conditions. Ninety new-born babies composed the sample, divided into two groups (sacharose and water), with double-blind procedure, and a 15 minute time span. The experiment was recorded on VHS tapes, in order to document the rate and span of time (in seconds) of the behavioral conditions and specific behaviors displayed by each of the new-borns. Three independent judges categorized the records, and the events observed by at least two of them were accepted. The data were dealt with statiscally through Variance Analysis, with a 5% significance level. The fi ndings evidenced for the sacharose group obtained significantly more frequent responses, when compared to the water group, for the placing-the-hand-on-mouth behavior, which suggests a higher sensorimotor integration in the face of a favorite stimulus. The statistically signifi cant difference between the stimuli was observed only for behaviors on the right side of the body, pointing to a greater manual control on this side.