Question

Discuss the motor milestones of development in infancy.

Answer 1

Physical growth is rapid during infancy. If provided with good nutrition, infants almost triple in weight and increase in body length by about one-third, during the first year.

Reflexes: At birth, newborns possess several simple reflexes (inherited responses to stimulation in certain areas of the body). The reflexes which new boms show at birth and very shortly thereafter are as follows :

• Blinking: Baby closes eyes in response to light.
• Rooting: When a cheek is touched or stroked, a baby turns toward touch, moves lips and tongue to suck.
• Sucking: When nipple or other objects placed in the mouth, the baby sucks.
• Tonic neck: When the baby is placed on the back with the head turned to one side, the baby stretches out arm and leg on side baby is facing.
• Moro: Baby throws out arms and fans fingers, extends neck and cries in response to loud noise or sudden drop of the head.
• Babinski: When baby’s foot is stroked from head to toe, toes fan out.
• Grasping: When palms of hands are stroked, the baby closes fingers around the object in a strong grasp.
• Stepping: Baby makes stepping motions if held upright so one foot just touches a surface.

Locomotor development:
Birth — Fetal posture
One month — Lifts head
Six weeks — When held upright, holds head erect and steady
Two months — Lifts chest; Lifts self by arms; Rolls from side to back
Three months — Grasps cube; reach and miss
Four months — Rolls from back to the side
Four months — sits with support
Seven months — Sits alone; crawls
Eight months — Stands with help; Pull to stand
Nine months — Plays pat-a-cake
Eleven months — Stands alone; crawls upstairs
Twelve months — Walks alone
Sixteen months — Walks upstairs with the help
Twenty-three months — Jumps in place
Thirteen months — Builds a tower of two cubes
Fourteen months — Scribbles vigorously