Using a floating balloon influences infant body sway as a walking aid

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25560388
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Childhood science (childhood environment science)
• Research Institution: Prefectural University of Hiroshima
• Principal Investigator: Shimatani Koji 県立広島大学, 保健福祉学部, 准教授 (00433384)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SHIMA Keisuke 横浜国立大学, 工学研究科, 准教授 (50649754)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 風船 / 把持 / 乳児 / 歩行支援

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Somatosensory finger-tip contact changes the unstable walking of the baby into independent walking (Li Chen 2008).We showed that body sway decreased when the infants were walking with a floating balloon. The weight shift to the lower extremities was unaffected by the balloon. However, COP in the foot during each stance phase was well-controlled when using the balloon as a walking aid. The infant walking could become stable when the body sway of one leg standing decreases as an infant walking develops (Yaguramaki 2002). Floating balloon could become a Walking aid for children.

Free Research Field

小児理学療法