Infant Development and Early Aquatic Stimulation

The intervention will be conducted in a heated pool located in the Physiotherapy building of the Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 24 twice-weekly, 45-minute aquatic stimulation sessions will be offered over a 13-week intervention period. The sessions will follow a previously tested and refined aquatic stimulation protocol for infants. The experimental group will consist of 15 dyads (infant + parent or guardian) and three supervisors. Two will be inside the pool offering support and encouragement to parents and infants, and one will be outside the pool providing overall supervision of the children and controlling the time of each activity. The activities included in the aquatic intervention plan involve stimulation of expressive language, cognitive development, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and social interaction.