Tummy Time Tracking: Examining Agreement Between Parent Recall and Direct Observation in Infants.

For full-term infants, parent recall measures of tummy time exhibit an acceptable level of agreement with direct observation and can be reliably used over shorter periods. Parents of preterm infants may display a bias in recalling tummy time, leading to overestimations. To accurately assess tummy time in this population, a combination of subjective and objective measures should be explored. Plain-Language Summary: Tummy time is an essential movement experience for infants, especially for preterm infants, who are at a higher risk for motor delays. The most common way to track tummy time is through parent reports, or recall, versus a practitioner directly observing tummy time in the home. Despite the widespread use of parent recall to track tummy time, no study has examined the accuracy of parent recall versus direct observation in the home. Accurately assessing tummy time is crucial for improving and supporting health outcomes for infants. This study found that prematurity may affect the accuracy of parent recall for assessing tummy time in young infants. The authors discuss the implications of this finding and provide suggestions to guide the selection of appropriate methods to measure tummy time in clinical practice and research studies.