Scientists may soon be able to use “intelligent onesies” to identify autism, ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions in babies by analyzing their movements.
As part of an ongoing study, researchers from the University of Sussex, England, are using suits equipped with motion sensors and video footage to monitor the movements of babies from birth to 18 months of age.
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By comparing specific movements such as wriggling, sitting and crawling to infants’ social and communication skills over the first 18 months of development, researchers hope to identify key motor behaviors that predict symptoms of neurodivergent conditions.
Gillian Forrester, lead author and professor of comparative cognition at the University of Sussex, said Newsweek that the ultimate goal of the study is to determine which early movement characteristics may be associated with a later diagnosis of autism.
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“This could lead to much earlier screening compared to our current diagnostic practices. Earlier screening could in turn lead to earlier and new interventions,” she said.
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“I am incredibly excited about this new research, as it gives us a better understanding of how physical activity in the first days of life influences our subsequent social and communication development.”
The aptly named Baby Growth Research aims to show how repetitive and less varied movements in newborns are linked to conditions such as autism and ADHD, while more complex and varied movements are linked to normal cognitive development.
“It is well known that the way we move from the first days of life helps prepare our brains and bodies to navigate a complex physical and social world. However, the direct links between a baby’s early movements and their social skills later in life are not well understood,” Forrester said in a statement.
“By collecting data on babies’ earliest movements, we hope to provide clinicians, GPs and parents with the tools they need to identify early markers of neurodivergence in babies. We hope this research will lead to earlier screening, diagnosis and interventions during infancy to support children and their families.”
The research is being showcased at this year’s Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, where visitors can play the interactive ‘Baby Boogie’ game to compare their own motor skills with those of a newborn baby.
The game demonstrates how difficult it is to imitate the complex and varied movements that are part of healthy cognitive development.
“The way we solve problems with our hands has a movement structure that is similar to how we put words together to create meaningful speech. But we often explore ourselves in isolation from the rest of the animal kingdom,” Forrester said.
“Our research explores how we became the upright, walking, talking, tool-using great apes we are today. Through evolution and development, we create a bridge between us and the natural world.”
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.