Postural stability in the neonate. Review of literature Estabilidad postural en el neonato. Una revisión de la literatura

Abstract

Introduction Postural stability is defined as the ability to regulate the center of mass in relation to the base of support. Static postural stability refers to the postural balance, understood as the harmony between the forces of inertia that act on the body (external) and those that act from the body segments (internal) Objective To conduct a literature review on the processes that lead out the sensory feedback systems to achieve postural stability in the neonate. Methodology A search of evidence was made in databases such as Science Direct, Elsevier, Springer, Annual Reviews, between the years 1990 and 2018 with the following DeCS terms: Newborn, Postural Balance, and Child Development. Results We obtained 53 articles where it was possible to determine that postural stability is a concept that comes from 2 origins, the first one related to sensory systems: (somatosensory, vestibular and visual) which lead to variations in the oscillations of the center of gravity. The second is related to the biomechanical adaptations present. The postural development in the neonate begins with a repertoire of specific adjustments that suggest that the basic level of control has an innate origin. Conclusion The postural control in the neonate occurs in a cephalocaudal representation having an important role, the head, the neck and the trunk. The vestibular system is connected to the proprioceptive, visual and motor systems in the acquisition of postural control, the connection between the visual system and the vestibular system is reached between the second and third month of life.