 | ||
|
| |    Strength and Coordination: Motor Development by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. "A baby seems to know ahead of time what he's going to be learning next." - Benjamin Spock, Baby and Child Care (seventh edition, page 249) Motor development--the development of strength, coordination, and reflexes--starts with the head and gradually works down to the trunk, arms, and legs. A lot of basic motor movements are programmed into the brain, and, for most children, reaching, sitting, standing, and walking all unfold without ever having to be taught. Still, these skills do not mysteriously appear. Early movements evolve into more mature ones as babies practice and take joy in controlling their bodies. Many parents keep one eye on their babies and the other on a chart of motor milestones. But, except for babies born prematurely or with certain medical problems, very, very few have significant motor development problems. Those that do are usually recognized by physicians who are well trained in assessing physical development. There is a wide range of normal for most motor milestones, and within that range, being a bit slower or faster generally means little in terms of a child's long-term development. Why motor milestones matter I can think of four reasons: First, because you can learn a lot about a child by watching how she goes about getting from one motor milestone to the next. Is your baby content to lie for hours staring at her hands, or is she constantly raising her head to peer around the room? Does she doggedly go about teaching herself to crawl, or would she rather sit still, and let the world come to her? Second, if you know what milestone is coming next, you can better appreciate how your baby goes about getting ready for each new developmental step. Not too infrequently, a major motor advance is heralded by a period of fussiness. Knowing that a big motor advance is coming can help make your baby's moods more understandable. The third reason to pay attention to motor development is so that you can provide your child with a range of opportunities to grow, while avoiding potential dangers. For example, you might decide to give your baby some time on her belly each day, an activity that will allow her to develop arm and back strength, but you will know not to turn your back while she's on the changing table because her ability to roll is due to arrive at any time, thus avoiding a fall. Finally, milestones are helpful in the unlikely event that there really is something amiss. For this purpose, you don't need to know the average age that children do certain things, but rather the red-flag age - the age by which 90 percent or more of healthy children have attained that milestone. (For more on this, see About Milestones). Most often this knowledge should reassure you that development is really going forward as it should (even if your child doesn't match up to the average ages-remember, development is not a race!) If not, it should alert you to get the help your child needs sooner rather than later.
| |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| About Us |
Contact Us |
Our Partners Privacy Policy | Ethics | Advertising Policy | Terms of Service © Copyright 2004 The Dr. Spock Company. All Rights Reserved. THIS SITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. The information drSpock.com
provides is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for
professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your health care
professional if you have a specific health concern. Mention or advertisement
of any product, service, or brand does not constitute endorsement, guarantee,
or recommendation by The Dr. Spock Company. Please read our full
Terms of Service. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
