# Moving Forward: Early Predictors of Crawling and Walking in Infants with DS

> **NIH NIH F32** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · 2024 · $78,328

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Infants with Down syndrome (DS) typically have significant delays in motor development, which has cascading
effects on language and cognition. Enabling earlier acquisition of motor skills for infants with DS has the potential
to support development across domains and is a primary focus of the NIH’s INCLUDE project. However,
limitations in resources prevent infants from getting the support they need to facilitate development. Moreover,
as in many clinical populations, the age of attainment of motor skills in infants with DS is highly variable (e.g.,
walk onset delayed by 6 - 36 months), and resources need to be allocated differently for children based on their
anticipated achievement of key motor milestones. There is a need to identify predictors of delays in independent
mobility in order to individualize rehabilitation interventions and share resources.
 The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), a routine clinical assessment of posture, and measures of
spontaneous leg kicking (e.g., frequency and interlimb coordination) have been used to predict walk onset in
other populations but not in DS. The lack of evaluation of these outcomes in DS raises the question: will these
predictors of walk onset in other populations translate to infants with DS? However, even if they are successful
predictors, the collection of these variables requires trained personnel. There is a need for alternative measures
that address resource limitations and accessibility issues while still capturing the mechanisms reflected in AIMS
scores and kicking variables. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and kinematic analysis of 2-D videos
have recently emerged as fully remote, cost-effective solutions.
 This study aims to explore early indicators associated with crawling and walking milestone
achievement in infants with DS. Fifty infants and caregivers will be recruited nationally to complete two weeks
of EMA when infants are four and six months old, time points that are prior to independent mobility and match
those of prior studies. A subset of 25 infants will complete a single, home-based data collection session
immediately prior to each week of EMA assessments. Caregivers will also complete a monthly survey of motor
skills until walk onset. At the end of this study, we will have identified and compared empirically supported and
alternative, accessible predictors of independent mobility in infants with DS. This project is the first step in offering
individualized rehabilitation paradigms to infants with DS while balancing the appropriate allocation of resources.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11069077
- **Project number:** 1F32HD117600-01
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- **Principal Investigator:** Ashley Collimore-Doherty
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $78,328
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2025-01-01 → 2027-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11069077

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11069077, Moving Forward: Early Predictors of Crawling and Walking in Infants with DS (1F32HD117600-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/11069077. Licensed CC0.

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