Childhood Motor Development

Motor Development

Key Motor Development Milestones (for informational purposes)

• 0–2 months of age: Enjoys lying on the stomach and back, holds limbs in a flexed position, hands in fists, turns head in both directions while on stomach and back, begins to lift head while on stomach from approximately 6 weeks of age. Primarily reflex movements.
• 3 months of age: Forearm support, lifts head to a vertical position, raises head when pulled to sitting, grasps objects placed in hand, examines them, brings them to mouth.
• 4–5 months of age: Able to support self in palm support, hands open, rolls from back to side in both directions symmetrically, plays with feet
• 6–7 months of age: Rolls from back to stomach and stomach to back in both directions.
• 8–9 months of age: Crawls with alternating hands and legs in a regular pattern, assumes quadruped position—”rocks” in this position.
• 10–11 months of age: Crawls regularly, sits down, kneels, possibly stands up while holding on.
• 12–18 months of age: Stands up, sidesteps along furniture, takes one or two steps independently, walks independently.

Motor Development in Children

Children’s motor development is influenced by numerous factors, including—without being exhaustive—the environment, family background, physical attributes, and neurological maturity. It is important to consider the corrected age for premature babies when evaluating motor development milestones.

During the first nine months, the baby must learn to overcome gravity, discover their body, and adapt to the changed, new environment and nutrition. These are initially reflex movements, which later become increasingly directed, voluntary movements.

It may happen that a child falls behind in development, in which case it is worth providing some assistance. Our goal is not to rush, but to create the conditions necessary for proper motor development and to ensure that movement patterns are executed correctly and precisely.

Correction of Motor Development Disorders

The development of young children naturally does not consist solely of motor development. During this period, there is significant development in intelligence and cognitive functions, the nervous system, communication, as well as social behavior. However, the aforementioned skills also develop through movement and with movement, which is why it is so important that motor development occurs appropriately.

In the case of infants and young children whose motor development has stalled, it is important to identify the cause and correct it as soon as possible. Motor development problems are most often caused by functional disorders in the brain’s muscle tone regulation and motor centers. Each movement therapy method can focus more effectively on different causes, but globally we can influence almost all areas simultaneously. Whether it is massage, specialized passive mobilization, active exercises, manual techniques, sensory therapy, in each case our goal is the same: restoration, regulation, development, healing, correction, and stimulation, thereby establishing proper muscle tone and function, achieving full range of motion in the joints, and developing the nervous system.

When and in What Cases Is Motor Development Therapy Recommended?

• If motor phases begin with difficulty or in an unusual manner, or are delayed.
• The child begins performing gross motor movements and motor milestones in an incorrect sequence.
• Holds themselves very tensely, only able to relax during sleep. Or the opposite: the baby’s muscles are flaccid.
• There is a preferred side; the child looks and turns their head predominantly in one direction only.
• Has difficulty holding the head while lying on the stomach, cannot turn it from one side to the other and place it on the floor.
• Does not reach for objects, or only with one arm.
• Rolls with difficulty or not at all, or only rolls in one direction.
• In forearm support, pulls arms underneath, often assumes an airplane position.
• In palm support, keeps hands tightly clenched in fists.
• Asymmetric crawling or creeping.
• Cannot sit stably, falls over frequently.
• Always stands up using only one leg, bears weight more on one lower limb.
• Trips frequently, falls often.
• Walking, running, and movements are clumsy and hesitant.
• Supporting the motor development of healthy infants and young children who are developing more slowly than average in terms of gross motor skills.

Beginning Physiotherapy

Infant and young child physiotherapy should be started as early as possible, even from newborn age, as this allows us to achieve better results. It is worthwhile to address even minimal deviations so that various movement patterns develop with the best possible quality later on, along with the child’s development in other areas, such as motor coordination, spatial orientation, proper static and dynamic posture, equal weight distribution, appropriate loading of the feet, and cognitive functions. As parents, we often do not notice smaller or larger deviations in our children, so in case of uncertainty, it is advisable to consult a specialist.