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CHLD 147: Physical Development

Laura Denise Harris, Ed.D.

College of the Sequoias

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Objectives

  • Describe how the developing brain influences the growth of motor skills
  • Discuss the function of reflex behaviors, and why they change during the early months.
  • Analyze what growth patterns are related to large motor skills and small motor skills during the first two years of life.
  • Explain what caregivers can do to support families when seeking resources for young children with special needs.

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Making Sense

Movement

    • Their skills may seem limited, but they have very competent abilities and have perfected many basic motor skills by 18 months old

Muscular Coordination

    • As muscle movements become more coordinated, they develop more specialized skills such as walking and arm/hand coordination

Perceptions

    • Organization of postures and movements they learned early on deepens their sensory experience; through perfecting, expanding and refining original postures

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Physical Growth

Newborn�Average 7 pounds and 20 inches long

5 Months

Birthweight has doubled

12 months

Birthweight has tripled

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Growth Patterns

  • Length for age�
  • Weight for age�
  • Body mass index�
  • Head circumference�
  • Weight for length�
  • Stature for age�
  • 5% or below(underweight)/95% or above (obese) is area for concern

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Motor Development

Proximodistal

Development occurs from the center of the body outward

Cephalocaudal:�

Development begins with the head and moves down the rest of the body

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Brain Research

Movement develops as a result of nature (biology) and nurture (experience)

More neural connections and experiences equal more coordination and stronger muscles

Increased myelination in the brain influences the development of fine motor skills

Experiences form brain circuitry and are essential in fine turning the young brain’s ability to respond to the environment

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Reflexes

  • Unlearned, organized, involuntary responses that occur in the presence of different kinds of stimuli
  • Automatic muscle reactions
    • Blinking, kicking, swallowing, clearing the face for breathing
    • Cough and gag, blink and squint
  • Reflexes serve as the basis for later movement and are indicative of typical or atypical development in infants.
  • Some of them are protective reflexes (arms out when falling, clearing face for breathing, etc.)

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Reflexes at birth

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Rooting

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Sucking

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Stepping

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Palmar grasp

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Babinski

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Moro

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Startle

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Tonic neck (fencing)

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Swimming

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Head turns when cheek is touched

Motion begins when lips are touched

Legs move when feet touch floor (held)

Hands curl when object placed in them

Toes fan if sole of foot is stroked

Head support released; arms fling out and grasp

Arms fling in response to noise

Head turns/arm extends while other arm flexes

Movements occur when infant placed in water

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Moro Reflex

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Tonic Neck Reflex

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Reflexes After Birth

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Reciprocal kicking

Held outward, legs alternate (bicycling)

Neck righting

Head turns, body follows

Parachute

Falling, arms go forward

Landau

On stomach, arms and legs in “U” position

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Two Types of Motor Skills

Large Motor

  • Locomotion
  • Also called “gross motor”
  • Ability to move from one place to another
  • Able to move in two directions: up and around
  • Starts with head movements and develops into sitting and walking

Small Motor

  • Manipulation
  • Also called “fine motor”
  • Control over eyes, mouth, speech, bladder, feet, toes, hands and fingers
  • Starts with arm movements and develops into finger/grasp ability

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Mobility

  • Stability is the means to mobility
    • Infants must gain a good, solid base from which to move no matter what direction they are trying to go
  • Typically developing babies will go through major motor milestones on their own, without any support whatsoever.
  • Exploration relates to psychological stability.
    • Mobility is related to trust and attachment
  • Each skills is a construction of abilities that emerge as infants reorganize their capabilities into new and more complex skills.

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Large Motor Development

SKILL

AVERAGE RANGE

Lifts head 90* on stomach

2.2-3.2 Months

Rolls over

2.8-4.7 Months

Sits without support

5.5-7.8 Months

Stands holding on

5.8-10 Months

Crawls

7-9 Months

Walks holding on

9.2-12.7 Months

Stands alone

11.5-13.9 Months

Walks

12.1-14.3 Months

Walks up steps

17-22 Months

Kicks ball forward

20-24 Months

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Small Motor

Grasps & holds ring - 0.8 Months

Hands open and relaxed – 2.7 Months

Reaches for dangling ring – 3.1 Months

Fingers hand in play – 3.2 Months

Palmar grasp 3.7 Months

Closes on dangling ring – 3.8 Months

Neat pincer grasp – 8.9 Months

Pattycake – 9.7 Months

Scribbles spontaneously – 14 Months

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Self Help Skills

Much fine motor development comes through encouraging them in self help tasks.

Eating, pouring milk, taking off shoes, zipping up jackets, etc. support their development of independent motor skills.

Toys and materials support their ability to develop these skills as well: stringing beads, nesting toys, shape sorters, snap together blocks, telephones, water and paintbrushes, crayons, felt pens, scissors, puzzles, blocks, cars and trucks.

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Fostering Motor Development

Give the freedom to move and experience a variety of ways of using the skills they possess.

Keep children in free and least helpless position during waking hours

Allow babies to move into positions by themselves

Avoid rescuing babies immediately when they reach an uncomfortable position

Encourage them to practice what they know how to do

Facilitate development in all motor areas

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Motor Problems

Obesity

Poor nutrition

Nervous system concerns

Limited freedom or often restricted movements

Lack of natural everyday experiences and interactions