21 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
Motorskill Milestones in Infants
Typical Month of Onset
Gross Motor Skill
1-2
Holds head erect and steady
2-3
Lifts head and chest with arm support on tummy
Sits with support
3-4
Rolls tummy to back
6-7
Rolls back to tummy
6-8
Sits alone
8-9
Pulls to stand
9
Crawls
9-10
Walks with handholds ("cruises")
11-12
Stands Alone
12-13
Walks alone
Typical Month of Onset
Fine Motor Skill
birth
Reflexive grasp
1-3
Pre-reaching (ineffective)
3
Voluntary grasp
4-5
Successful reach and grasp
6-7
Controlled reach ...Folksonomies: infant development motor skills
Folksonomies: infant development motor skills
1 Two charts of when to expect certain motor skill achievements in infants in the first year and some months.
21 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
Tummy-Time Improves Infant Motor Skills
The recent trend of putting young babies to sleep on their backs also appears to be having an effect on their motor skill acquisition. This posture, which has proven advantageous in reducing the number of SIDS fatalities, does not permit babies to exercise their arm and neck muscles as much as and see the world. In one recent study, pediatricians found that babies who slept on their backs were significantly slower to roll over, sit, crawl, and pull to stand than babies who slept on their stom... 1 
notes
notesBy forcing the infant to work their neck and back to look around while on their tummy, they strengthen these important muscles; however, the infant should still remain on their back while sleeping to prevent SIDS.
21 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
Practice Walking Helps Infants Walk Earlier
In fact, contrary to all of the early anecdotes claiming that practice has no effect on the onset of walking, one carefully controlled study has shown that special exercise can indeed accelerate it. In this study, a group of newborns were given just ten minutes per day of "practice walking." Every day between one and nine weeks of age, the baby would be held upright by a parent, with his feet on a table, and allowed to exercise his stepping reflex. Two additional groups of babies received, re... 1 notes
notesBy having the parent hold the infant upright on a table to practice walk for just 10 minutes a day, they are able to accelerate the child's acquisition of this skill; however, infant walkers are found to be detrimental to this purpose for the lack of feedback they provide.
21 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
Practicing Motor Skills
In fact, babies do improve their motor skills much as adults do—as a result of diligent practice. New skills, such as walking independently, don't suddenly emerge out of nowhere but gradually build out of prior, simpler abilities—kicking, standing, and walking with support—after weeks or months of trying. The only difference between infant and adult motor learning (aside from the fact that infants seem to crave the exercise more than most of us) is that babies can train themselves in a ... 1 notes
notesBy practicing a motor skill, adults and infants allow their brain to find the most efficient neurological pathways for performing the task.
