Your baby's first step is a remarkable achievement. But before he takes that step, he passes through a host of accomplishments, learning a new skill then building on that to move to the next stage of development. The NSDU Extension Service explains that this dynamic development begins at conception and continues at an especially fast pace during your infant's first six months.
Muscle Development
Although babies differ in size and body-build, all children move through a similar sequence of motor skill development. Her large muscles develop first, so she learns to walk before she can scribble. Her muscles develop from head to toe, so she holds her head up before learning to stand on her feet. Her central muscles around the trunk of her body grow strong before those of her hands and feet, enabling her to roll over and twist before she can feed herself with her fingers.
Development
Your baby needs motor skills for several purposes, according to the NSDU. He uses non-locomotor activity when he lifts his head from your shoulder during his first few weeks and when he sits up, twisting and turning to pick up toys at six months or so. At six to nine months, he crawls or shuffles along the floor using locomotor movement. By his first birthday, he stands and may take his first steps.
His fine motor skills develop from his grasp of a rattle at three months to his careful use of thumb and forefinger to pick up raisins when he is twelve months old.
Dependancies
Whole Family.com suggests that your infant's motor skill development depends on developing attention skills that enable her to finish a task. She begins to develop these skills during her first year as she grasps progressively smaller objects and puts them into and out of containers. She relies also on the growing integration of her vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste, as well as her sense of movement and of her position in space. If she is over or under sensitive, it can affect her motor development. If she is oversensitive to touch, for example, she may not attempt to finger feed during her first year.
Stimulus
Appropriate stimulation helps your infant to develop his motor skills. In his first weeks, the sound of your voice encourages him to turns his head. He soon learns to follow a moving rattle with his eyes, according to the National Network for Child Care. He plays with toys of different shapes and textures to develop his fine motor skills. Balls rolling across the floor encourage him to move around. He twists and turns to reach hidden objects. Playing with push toys may help him take a few steps.
Milestones
Your baby grows holistically, her motor skills developing alongside cognitive, language and social abilities. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out that all babies develop at their own pace but should reach certain milestones at similar ages. Check your child's motor milestones and consult a pediatrician if, at the end of her first year, she cannot stand supported, creep, crawl or point at pictures.
