Babies taught to stand at just four months
An Icelandic professor of neuropsychology has trained four-month-old babies to stand without support, redefining what scientists believe young children are physically capable of.
Babies are normally expected to start standing independently at between nine and 16 months. Hermundur Sigmundsson, who published his research in the science journal Frontiers in Psychology, says his techniques could teach very young children other skills too.
“The results show that by forming neural connections at an earlier age, babies can do things earlier than we previously thought,” he said.
Professor Sigmundsson teamed up with Snorri Magnusson, an Icelandic developmental therapist and PE teacher who has taught babies to swim for more than 30 years.
The study involved 12 infants who took part in water-based lessons twice a week over