Baby care : Skills Development

Motor Skill Development

Balancing, grabbing, pinching, waving, clapping, crawling and walking are all examples of the many motor skills you baby will start to develop. In general there is a sequence to how these skills are learnt and there are many things you can do to get your baby moving!

Enhance Your Baby`s Motor Skills

The motor milestones that occur during your baby's first year may seem unrelated to one another, but in fact they happen in sequence. Development usually progresses from head to foot, with skills involving the head and arms developing before those that involve the legs and feet. Motor control also progresses from the center of the body outward, which means that your baby will be able to control her torso before she can manipulate her fingers and toes.

The following are some of the most important milestones from head to toe, and suggestions for enhancing your baby's development.

One of the first things new parents are taught is to support the baby's head because baby can't do it himself until about 3 months of age.

Once his neck muscles strengthen, he'll be able to do "mini push-ups," raising both head and chest off the floor.

By about 7 months of age, your baby will attain full control of his head and will be able to hold it steady for a long time while sitting on your lap or being held upright. To help baby develop head control:

1. Place your baby stomach-down on the floor. Do this several times a day to let him practice.
2. Entice your baby to lift his head. Put an unbreakable mirror or large picture in front of him, or get down on the floor face-to-face with him.

Most infants start waving or batting at objects by 3 months of age, an impulse that quickly becomes more refined.

By 5 or 6 months, your child should master visually directed reaching, which means she's able to see an object and reach for and grasp it with her hand.

By 8 or 9 months, as your baby learns to grasp with her thumb and forefinger, she can pick up surprisingly small objects -- crumbs of food, for example, and, unfortunately, bits of dust and dirt from the floor. You'll have to keep a watchful eye on baby, because she'll be tempted to taste whatever she picks up.

Try these four suggestions to encourage development of baby's hand-eye coordination:

1. Install a crib gym. This allows him to bat at the objects overhead. (To be safe, remove it from the crib as soon as he can sit up.)
2. While your baby lies on his back on the floor, dangle eye-catching objects above him. Shake them three to eight inches above his head, giving him the opportunity to swipe at them.
3. To help your 4-month-old baby practice grasping objects, hand her rattles or other safe items to hold. Things that make noise when she shakes them, or have a nice texture to gum on, may encourage her to keep her grip.
4. Place several toys within reach. Let her grasp for things as she lies on her stomach on the floor.

While gaining control of their unwieldy head is a gradual process, turning over is one milestone that seems to appear out of the blue in babies -- a milestone that parents anxiously await.

At 4 or 5 months, your baby will be able to roll over in one direction only (either back-to-stomach or stomach-to-back). She probably won't be able to flip herself in the opposite direction until 6 or 7 months.

You can encourage rolling by:

1. Providing baby with plenty of space and opportunity to practice. The floor is always great for this.
2. Praise baby. Talk to her and encourage her as she practices rolling.
3. Hold an object of interest, such as a rattle or a baby mirror, next to her. This can catch her attention and entice her to turn her body to see it.

Once a baby can roll over, sitting up isn't far behind. Babies have a whole new view of the world when they learn to sit up. So it's as exciting for them as it is for their parents!

By about 4 months of age, your baby can sit when propped up.

By 6 months your baby may have some success sitting in a high chair, and sometime before 1 year of age, she'll perfect the art of sitting unaided.

To help baby practice sitting skills:

1. Place him in your lap, facing outward, while you sit cross-legged on the floor. Your stomach and legs will provide the necessary support for his back.
2. Prop baby on a standard pillow or a U-shaped pillow. Let him experience the sensation of sitting with your supervision.

Between 8 and 13 months, your child will achieve some form of locomotion. Parents often view crawling and walking as the greatest physical milestones for their babies. While it's very exciting, you should remember that each child develops uniquely and at his own pace. If you have concerns about your baby's development about locomotion, discuss it with his pediatrician. But most babies will follow a recognizable pattern of learning locomotion:

• First he'll likely get himself up on his hands and knees.
• Next he'll rock back and forth in an effort to move forward.
• He'll develop different ways of getting around, such as rocking, swiveling, rolling, and squirming on his tummy.

After about a month of this, you'll see him begin to progress toward a true crawl.

Many babies learn to crawl backward first, but it's not long before they learn to crawl in the right direction.

Not all babies crawl in the same fashion. In fact, some don't crawl at all and instead insist on walking with an adult holding their hands. Others bounce on their bottom, scoot along on their stomach, or do a "bear walk," crawling with arms and legs extended. No matter which style of motion your baby chooses, this stage brings her unprecedented freedom and opportunity to explore.

1. Play crawling "tag." This can be great fun for babies who are learning to locomote. Crawl after your baby, saying, "I'm gonna get you!" Then crawl away, encouraging her to follow. Try hiding behind a piece of furniture and letting her "find" you.
2. Create an obstacle course. Fill the room with things your baby can practice crawling over, under, or around.

Now that your baby is moving around, it's essential that you provide him with safe places to play. Thoroughly babyproof your house and yard; this means protecting your baby from potential danger as well as safeguarding your valuables.

Your baby will begin climbing up stairs and furniture during this period as well. Unfortunately, most babies learn to climb up steps long before they're able to descend. You can try to teach your young one how to crawl down safely (feet first, on her tummy), but she'll still require supervision. Place a gate at the top of staircases, and another on the third or fourth step from the bottom (so your child can safely practice climbing on the bottom few steps). If the slats or spindles on a stair rail or landing are more than three inches apart, install Plexiglas or safety mesh so that baby won't fall through them.

One of the greatest joys a parent experiences is watching the wonder, frustration, and joy as their child moves through the various stages of development. Each stage is unique and wonderful. Enjoy and treasure these moments of discovery with baby!



Learning To Crawl

Along with all the other milestones of infant growth, there is one that puts babies on the move for the first time - crawling. Where once Baby was immobile, content sitting and exploring what was within his reach, suddenly a whole new world opens up: the world of mobility.

Crawling is a precursor to walking, of course, but also primarily a way for infants to begin to explore their environment.

"Crawling helps walking because it allows babies to utilize the muscle groups in their arms, trunk, pelvic girdle and lower legs," says Dr. Ari Brown, pediatrician, mother of two and coauthor of Baby 411 (Windsor Peak, 2006). "Practice builds tone, strength and coordination."

Most babies begin crawling somewhere between 6 and 9 months old. By this time, she will be sitting without support, and her major muscle groups will be strong enough to support her body.

"From sitting, a baby will begin to pivot, rock and go over onto her hands and knees," says Laurie LeComer, author of A Parent's Guide to Developmental Delays: Recognizing and Coping with Missed Milestones in Speech, Movement, Learning and Other Areas (Perigee, 2006) "The strength necessary to crawl can be traced all the way back to the newborn days when she was placed on her tummy and slowly began to strengthen her neck, and then her arms and shoulders, as she pushed up for a better view."

The transition from sitting to crawling may occur gradually over several months. Some of the steps in between include learning to balance on all fours, rocking back and forth on hands and knees and eventually figuring out that pushing off with the knees will give them the forward motion they need to begin to crawl.

Not every baby crawls in the same manner, though. Some crawl forward, as typical, but some have their own methods. Shannon Rosenberg, a mother of twins from Wesley Hills, N.Y., says that one of her twins was slightly late in getting herself moving. "[But] once she did start crawling ... she crawled backwards right under the couch," she says. "Actually, they both crawled backwards first."

Crawling backward is probably the result of uneven muscle tone (arms a little stronger than legs), but that will soon right itself as Baby progresses in developing gross motor skills. They will soon shift from reverse to forward on their own with no intervention from parents. As long as they get moving in some way, they are perfectly normal, no matter which direction they choose to go first.

It can't hurt to give your baby some incentive to crawl. Making things too easy on them (always handing them toys they want, etc.) just encourages them to stay seated. Instead, find ways to encourage them to become active. Parents should place age-appropriate toys slightly beyond their child's reach when baby is in a sitting position, LeComer says. "They can also engage their babies in airplane games, where baby flies through the air and then lands on his hands (supporting some weight from his body)," she says. "Or parents can use games and songs that entice baby to come to them in whatever locomotion way possible."

Don't worry too much, though, about pushing your baby to move on your time schedule. Courtney Ramirez of Sanger, Calif., worried a little when her daughter seemed to take too long to crawl. Though still within the normal age range for crawling, she was at the upper end of the range, causing Ramirez some concern. She learned, though, that unless there are specific developmental problems that your doctor has identified, there is nothing wrong with "slow development."

"My best advice to first-time moms is to remember that every baby is different," says Ramirez, who decided that relaxing was the best approach, rather than frustrating herself and her child. "I encouraged her to be more physically active, but didn't try to train her to crawl. I figured that when she was ready, she would." Ramirez's instincts were right on target. "She skipped the scooting stage and just began crawling one day."

Actually, crawling isn't even listed as a major milestone in baby development. Some babies skip crawling and dive right into walking. Carol Wood of Winnetka, Calif., found this to be the case with her second child, Monica. "She never crawled," she says. "Just went from laying prone to walking." Being somewhat concerned, Wood chose to discuss it with her physician. "[My doctor] said, 'If she doesn't want to crawl, she doesn't have to.'"

Both of our experts agree that crawling is not a necessary step in development, as long as Baby has some other way of locomotion. "Some babies skip crawling altogether," LeComer says. "But parents should begin to be vigilant at 10 months if their child has not found a way to get around."

Exploring the environment is very important, whether by "cruising" around holding onto furniture, rolling, scooting, etc. LeComer suggests watching for these warning signs that may signal a need to talk with your pediatrician:

• Not exploring the environment in some way by 10 months of age
• Clearly favoring one side of his body.
• Unable to coordinate her body in some way that allows both sides to work together
• "Bypassing crawling has no other developmental implications and ... has no association with the ability to learn math (this is an old wives tale!)" Dr. Brown says.

Be prepared! Once babies are on the move, there's no stopping them. Here are some suggestions to keep things safe for your newly-crawling tot:

• Get on the floor and look at things from your baby's perspective.
• Remove any small objects from the floor (dropped coins under furniture, etc).
• Remove anything your baby might be able to pull, like phone cords, electrical cords or drape pulls.
• A small area rug on un-carpeted floors will protect Baby's hands and knees.
• Safety-proof the entire house (cabinets, wall outlets, toilets).
• Use gates in front of stairs at the top and bottom.
• Now that Baby is mobile, he may (and probably will at some point) end up where you don't want him to be. Be safe and safety-proof everything. And never leave a baby unattended.

 Pinching And Pulling

You've been amazed by each of your baby's big motor milestones. By now, she most likely rolls over and sits up. She might even be scooting on her bottom, crawling, or pulling herself up to a stand as she constantly launches herself into a world that beckons just out of reach.

Between 10 and 12 months, there are equally exciting -- though often overlooked -- motor skill developments involving baby's hands. For example, you're out walking your baby in the stroller when she suddenly points to a dog and squeals. Or your baby's in her high chair when she deliberately picks up her sippy cup and drops it on the floor. These milestones don't get the same play as walking, but they're just as important to her development, indicating that your clever baby is now trying to master the world in a whole new way: with her tiny fingers.

The motor areas of a baby's brain mature in a head-to-toe sequence, with brain areas that control the head and neck muscles maturing before those that take charge of controlling trunk, arm, and hand muscles. The areas of the brain controlling the legs are the last to develop. Why is this? Put simply, it's probably because a baby needs to know how to suck and feed himself before he needs to walk. When your baby was born, he held his arms and hands tucked close to his body, a position called "flexion." Over the past months, his hand and arm motions have become less reflexive and random; by 6 months he can grasp a toy -- but only using his whole hand. To understand how limiting this is, watch a 6-month-old holding his pacifier. He has little control of his hands -- he may fling his arm around, hit himself in the head by accident, and mistakenly drop it -- then look frantically around wondering what happened to it. Or he may want to let go of it, but be unable to release his fingers, banging the pacifier on the floor in frustration.

Fast-forward a few months, and your baby is on the verge of mastering a crucial milestone: Between 10 and 12 months, she develops the "pincer grasp," the ability to use the thumb and forefinger together to grasp and manipulate objects, or pick up a pea or a Cheerio. Pointing or poking at toys is a precursor to this all-important event, indicating that she has the ability to move her index finger separately from the rest of her hand. "Eventually, your baby's fine motor skills will allow her to program a computer or play the flute, but this period of development is just as amazing," promises Barry Solomon, MD, an assistant professor of general pediatrics and adolescent medicine at Johns Hopkins Children's Center. "This is an exciting time for babies, because fine motor skills let them analyze and learn about the world in different ways," he explains.

For instance, once your baby can use the pincer grasp to pick up an object between her thumb and first digit and then drop it deliberately in favor of a more appealing object, she'll start running a host of experiments. She might throw her dish or cup off the high chair again and again to explore cause and effect. Will the dish always make the same noise when it hits the floor? Will the same sticky stuff cover my tray and clothes? Will the dog come into the kitchen if it hears the dish? Will Mom laugh, or will she say "no"? Indeed, the world opens up in all kinds of new ways -- cabinet doors that were previously off-limits when closed can now be opened. Toys that could only be shaken or batted at before can now be rotated, poked, and probed. Toddlers also love any toys with holes that they can put things through, things with lids or doors that open and close, or toys that spin.

By 12 months, with fingers and thumb working together, baby should be able to build a two-block tower (then knock it down), and nest smaller objects inside larger ones and take them out again, says Dr. Solomon. Filling and dumping (especially dumping) are also new favorites. These activities spur cognitive leaps, as your baby learns concepts like big and little, and full and empty.

In the right mood, your baby might even "help" you dress or undress him by raising his arms and curling his hands into fists deliberately. He'll clap when he's happy and wave bye-bye more, too, now that he knows this gesture goes with that phrase.

"This is the age of imitation," notes Sybil Hart, PhD, associate dean of research for Texas Tech University's College of Human Sciences. "Your baby will want to do everything you do."

Scientists have measured the hormone cortisol in infant saliva to show that infants as young as 4 months can feel frustrated, and you'll probably see signs of this as your baby grows. Here's what's going on, from baby's point of view.

• "I'm not getting my way!" Better motor skills put her in situations where she's thwarted. Just as your baby manages to pull herself up to the coffee table, you swoop down and move her to the playpen. Or she manages to get her hands on a really interesting glittery thing (your necklace) and then you pry it out of her hands.
• "Why don't you understand me?" Your baby may also feel frustrated because you can't figure out what he's saying. He may point to the fridge, saying "baba, baba," his word for everything from "baby" to "ball," but not, until now, anything that would be in the fridge. Your string of wrong guesses only enrages him.
• "I want it now! As babies get closer to a year, we expect them to wait a little. For example, whenever your newborn was hungry, you fed him immediately. By 6 months, "you might tell him to hold on for a minute," says Hart. "And by 10 months, you might plop him in a high chair and expect him to play with a couple of toys while you warm up lunch." This is by no means irresponsible parenting: Babies need to be exposed to a little frustration now and then to learn how to become patient, but it's not an easy lesson!

Once your baby turns 1, and has better communication skills, some of her frustration should abate. "When she's crying in her crib and you call to tell her you're coming, she may stop, because she knows that you're on your way," says Hart.

Most babies pull themselves up to a stand between 10 and 12 months; of course, some do it earlier and even walk before their first birthday, and others are a little later. Whenever it happens, pulling to stand is a major milestone for babies, not just physically, but emotionally, says Hart. "Once a baby is upright, he's in a better position to make eye contact and interact socially." Indeed, standing changes the way your baby interacts with his environment, as it "multiplies his opportunities for exploration and bolsters his confidence," explains Lise Eliot, PhD, author of What's Going On in There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life (Bantam, 2000). How exactly? Your baby's vertical stance allows for a new visual perspective, a better reach to grab objects, and a greater sense of equality with other upright humans.

Once your baby can stand, it's difficult to get him to sit. You may just get him settled in his high chair when he'll twist around and try to stand. Standing is your baby's top priority now, as he practices balancing in preparation for taking those first steps.

Month 10

• Rolls a ball
• Feeds himself finger foods
• Points to objects

Month 11

• Starts using pincer grasp
• Can stack blocks and turn pages of a chunky baby book
• Pulls to stand

Month 12

• Cruises furniture or takes first steps alone
• Feeds herself with a spoon
• Holly Robinson lives with her five children outside of Boston.

When Will My Baby Starts Walking ?

Babies develop at their own pace. Typically, they start cruising (holding onto furniture to walk sideways) from 8 - 12 months old, and start walking from 10 - 15 months.

These ranges provide a guideline to baby's development. However, if your baby is delayed in achieving these basic motor milestones, consult your paediatrician or physiotherapist for advice.

Walking is controlled by the two different systems in the brain, known as the motor and sensory systems. They control the leg movements, and maintain the posture and balance in walking respectively.

Your baby's body then awaits basic changes in body proportion - the legs grow longer, shoulders broaden, and the head smaller - making it easier to balance in an upright posture.

Walking depends on practice. Babies must clock many hours of standing, cruis

ing and walking with some type of support before they can develop the strength and balance to walk on their own.

Should My Baby Needs A Walker?
No.

A walker does not help your baby to learn to walk. It is dangerous and potentially fatal. In fact, Canada has already banned the sale of baby walkers.

Baby walkers don't help babies walk earlier. In fact, walkers may even delay your baby's movement skill development or discourage him from learning to walk on his own.

Baby walkers don't help babies walk earlier. In fact, walkers may even delay your baby's movement skill development or discourage him from learning to walk on his own.

Most walkers are designed such that babies are not able to see their feet while walking. This can slow down development of movement as they are unable to make mental connection that it is their legs and feet that are moving the walker.

Walkers make it too easy for babies to move around. Babies who are in walkers tend to explore and satisfy their curiosity without developing their balance or walking skills. This may lead to slower development of balance and walking skills. Studies have shown that babies who spent 2 hours each day in the walker were more delayed in walking than babies who did not use a walker.

The baby's legs are not straight when "walking" in the walker. The hips and knees are bent and he will tend to walk on tiptoe. This causes him to use and develop the wrong leg muscles for walking. Such abnormal walking pattern may be difficult to correct even when he is out of the walker.

Studies have shown that walking pattern of babies worsen with the use of walkers especially if they are already walking in an abnormal way.

Walkers are unsafe. Babies can reach a speed of 1 meter per second in a walker, which is too fast even for an attentive parent to catch should the child speed towards an open door, down the stairs or towards a boiling pot.

• Discard the walker
• Use a playpen or play-centre that is stationary. Alternatively, allow a safe, unrestricted floor space for exploration.
• Help your baby exercise his muscles e.g. supported standing or cruising.
• Provide sensory stimulation e.g. baby massage.
• Provide vestibular stimulation e.g. rocking, bouncing or swing baby.
• Breast-feeding may help to strengthen baby's muscles.

Consult your doctor if you notice that your child is walking on his toes or on the sides of the feet.

My Baby`s First Step

From nine to eleven months, babies are in basic training for walking. They're taking it one step at a time to gain the physical control and balance required to walk. They do it by building the muscles and motor skills that prepare them for those exciting first steps.

Gearing Up For Baby's First Steps

Right around when babies can sit without wobbling and manoeuvre on all fours, they soon discover the stairs. You may find your child wants to spend hours on them. Crawling up is no sweat. The trouble is in crawling down. With a little help from his personal trainer (you!), he'll eventually get the hang of it. But remember; even after he's graduated to "stair master" don't leave your baby alone on or near the stairs. When you can't be there to supervise, always put a safety gate in place!

Soon your baby will be pulling himself up on crib bars, chair legs or anything else that can bring him to a standing position. Once up, he may want to stand all the time even when he's being dressed or changed. He'll learn to find ways of moving himself along… one small step for baby, one giant leap to becoming a full-fledged walker.

Many babies are eager to walk, even though they can't keep their balance on their own. You might see your baby taking sideways steps while holding onto the crib rail or table edge. Many babies also love to practice steps while holding onto your two index fingers. The father of one such enthusiastic "walker" joked, "I'm afraid I'll get stuck in a permanently bent-over position!"

It's not only the so-called "motor movements" like walking that are progressing at this stage. In the next few months, you'll see your baby's motor skills, like eye-hand coordination, improving tremendously. Your baby will soon be picking up small pieces of food-like cereal-with his thumb and forefinger, instead of using the "mitten grip" of earlier months. Babies enjoy putting objects into containers such as empty coffee cans and then dumping them out. Turn these activities into fun games for your baby to encourage these new skills.

Refer :

• 10 Tips For Breastfeeding Parents
• Baby`s Daily Massage
• Bathing Your Baby
• Switching From Breast To Cow Milk
• Baby Sleep Tips
• Breastfeeding FAQs