Washington, Feb 23 Using a treadmill could help infants with pre-natal complications or who were injured at birth walk earlier and better, according to new research.

Prenatal injuries can often be self-correcting, but sometimes toddlers get a more serious diagnosis, such as cerebral palsy, says Rosa Angulo-Barroso, associate professor of movement science at the University of Michigan U-M.

The signs of cerebral palsy are usually not noticeable in early infancy but become more obvious as the child’s nervous system matures. Early signs include the following: Delayed milestones such as controlling the head, rolling over, reaching with one hand, sitting without support, crawling, or walking

Angulo-Barroso and colleagues followed infants at risk for neuromotor (relating to a nerve fibre) delays for two years and tested their changes in physical activity and treadmill-stepping in their homes. Infants were assisted in using the treadmill by their parents.

Researchers looked at the frequency of steps and also the decrease in toe-walking over the two-year period. For those infants who were still not walking, they followed up by calling families to see if infants were walking by age 3, said an U-M release.

They found that kids with neuromotor delays using the treadmill were on the same improving trajectory as normal kids. Of those children, six were diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

The study appeared in Paediatric Physical Therapy.