Joint visual attention and locomotor experience: A longitudinal study of infants with treated idiopathic clubfoot

The aim of this study was to examine the link between joint attention skills and locomotor experiences in infants with locomotor delay due to congenital idiopathic clubfoot compared to typically developing infants. Using a following of point and gaze gesture task, we repeatedly tested joint attention skills of 11 infants with congenital idiopathic clubfoot and 14 typically developing infants at the ages of 6, 9, and 12 months. Additionally, we tested all typically developing infants and eight infants treated for idiopathic clubfoot at onset of crawling on hand and knees and after they had been crawling for about 5 to 6 weeks. Our results confirmed a delayed onset of locomotion in infants treated for idiopathic clubfoot; however, our results did not indicate lower joint attention performances in those infants in general. Moreover, we found a positive effect of crawling on the development of joint attention skills in typically developing infants; however, not in infants treated for idiopathic clubfoot. Our results complement previous work by indicating that locomotor experience, especially crawling is an important, however not necessary agent for developing joint attention skills. Highlights We repeatedly tested the link between crawling experience and joint attention skills in typically developing and infants with locomotor delay due to congenital idiopathic clubfoot. We did not find poorer joint attention performances in clubfoot infants, however crawling facilitated the development of joint attention skills in typically developing infants. Results indicated that locomotor experience, especially crawling is an important, however not necessary agent for developing joint attention skills.