Most infants begin crawling between 6 and 12 months, reports the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, but this age range varies widely, and some babies never crawl at all. Crawling isn't a definite milestone but a way to assess your...
Vitamin D helps grow strong bones, among other benefits, but vitamin D deficiency in babies has increased in recent years due to use of sunscreen. Exclusively breastfed babies have low vitamin D stores unless they get vitamins in supplements or...
Play is not only a way to make your baby laugh and smile, but also a way to encourage his physical and mental development. Gross motor development refers to the "big" physical developments, such as controlling his head, sitting, crawling, and...
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a set of disorders caused by brain damage suffered either before, during or shortly after birth. Children with CP typically have problems with muscle tone, balance and motor skills. There is no sure way to diagnose CP in...
Rickets is easily treated by correcting the vitamin D deficiency and making sure that there are adequate levels of calcium and phosphorus as well. Your child will probably need to take supplements to get the necessary amount of these nutrients....
As early as the 1500s, people recognized that excluding certain foods from their diets led to disease. For example, British sailors developed scurvy on a diet that was devoid of fruits and vegetables. In 1911, the first vitamin, thiamin, was...
If a child suffers significant brain damage prior to, during or shortly after being born, cerebral palsy (CP) may result. CP is associated with problems with muscle tone, balance and motor skills. Its earliest symptoms often are discovered by...
Younger children need stimulation to encourage movement of the neck, chest, arms and torso in order to establish the foundation for the development and strengthening of their legs. Play is the primary source of physical development, so children...
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, cerebral palsy is defined as "a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture." People are normally diagnosed with this condition fairly early in...
Caused by brain damage in utero, during or after birth, cerebral palsy describes several chronic conditions that impair the body and the muscles' ability to coordinate and move properly. Signs of cerebral palsy usually appear within the first few...
Vitamin D deficiency is common among infants, especially breastfed babies who do not get much sunlight. Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin upon exposure to sunlight and can also be acquired through fortified infant formula, food or...
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a condition that occurs due to damage to the brain. The areas of the brain involved are the ones that are responsible for controlling movement and posture. There are different types of CP and in most cases the cause is...
Cerebral palsy is a developmental disorder brought on by different neurological conditions. While it often varies in type and intensity, most forms of cerebral palsy affect walking in some way. Some conditions affect muscle tone, while others may...
Asperger syndrome is a type of autism disorder that is often diagnosed in children. Asperger syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a child’s ability to communicate effectively and engage in social activities. There is no cure for...
There are two forms of vitamin D that are important for the body's nutritional requirements: Vitamin D2, also known as ergocalciferol, is the form found in vitamin supplements. Vitamin D3 is the active, naturally occurring type of the vitamin....
Infants between the ages of 6 months and a year have a powerful urge to move across the floor, according to DrGreene.com. Children love the freedom that a baby walker can provide as they roll across the floor with the help of their little moving...
Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that makes it difficult for patients to tell the differences between real and unreal experiences. Patients with schizophrenia may have hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking and antisocial...
Babies experience two main types of motor development, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Gross motor development includes large muscle groups that allow for sitting, walking, running and other complex movements, while fine...
The Mayo Clinic reports that fetal alcohol syndrome, FAS, is caused by exposing the fetus to alcohol during pregnancy. FAS causes physical and mental defects and behavioral problems that are irreversible. Each year, approximately 40,000 babies are...
During the first few years of a baby's life, she develops a range of physical skills that allow her to move herself around and play with a variety of toys. She also grows quickly both in height and weight during the first year, followed by a...
Pregnant women should know whatever they eat, drink, smoke or snort may pass directly from their blood system into their baby's circulatory system through the placenta or the umbilical cord. This means if you feel it, there's a good...
A fetus needs optimum blood flow, nutrition and conditions to grow properly. It's why pregnant mothers are cared for so completely; their actions affect their unborn child's development. Using crack while pregnant can do extreme damage to a fetus....
The development of visually impaired babies differs slightly from that of their sighted peers. For example, they might emphasize certain skills early and develop other skills later than sighted children. But it's important to remember that all...
Muscle tone is the amount of tension a specific muscle has, according to the Department of Occupational Therapy at Royal Children’s Hospital. Having low muscle tone will make it difficult to perform an activity or maintain proper posture....
Dilantin, also called phenytoin, is a medication taken by some people for control of seizures. Like all anti-seizure medications, Dilantin can cause problems for the fetus when used by a woman during pregnancy, especially during the first three...
Each year, more than 400,000 babies throughout the world become infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through transmission of the virus from their mother, according to health officials at the March of Dimes. Initially, HIV symptoms...
Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium. Vitamin D also makes bones stronger, helps with cell growth, improves immunity, regulates the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the blood and reduces inflammation. Sufficient vitamin D intake may also...
Although the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages the use of baby walkers, they are still commonly used. Although they offer benefits, baby walkers can be dangerous, especially when a child is left in one unsupervised. In addition, they may...
Infants grow and develop at different rates, and just because your baby isn't crawling or walking as soon as his playmates doesn't mean there's anything wrong. However, there are developmental milestones in every baby's development, and if your...
