New Year, New Babies, New Milestones
Physiotherapy for Babies and Infants
Parenthood is amazing but it comes with much stress and many challenges. When it comes to motor development, parents often look to their other children, nieces, nephews and friends’ kids for comparison. Sometimes this is a recipe for disaster as it can often breed unnecessary anxiety and stress. Here is a guideline as to when most kids achieve certain milestones:
0-6 months:
- Moving hands to mouth and kicking both feet while on their back
- Lifting head and chest up while on their belly
- Rolling from back to tummy and tummy to back
- Sitting with assistance
- Crawling on belly in a circle
6-12 months:
- Sitting independently
- Crawling forwards and backwards
- Standing with assistance
- Pulling to stand on furniture
- Standing independently
- Walking along furniture
12-24 months:
- Walking independently
- Going up and down stairs with support
- Running
Unless your child has an underlying medical condition, most infant and toddlers will reach their age-appropriate motor milestones by the age of 2. So the idea that ‘the sooner, the better’ is not necessarily true. It is important that infants practice every motor skill as it is important for their current function and prepares them for future movements. For instance, I often hear something along the lines of: “My child walked when she/he was 10 months!! She/he never had to crawl”. Yes, it is great that they can walk but it is also important for children to crawl. Crawling helps infants build the necessary strength for transitioning from one position to another. So when it comes to your baby’s motor development, have patience and play, play, and play again. If you need some extra guidance, visit a physiotherapist.
Winta Desta
Registered Physiotherapist, Paediatric Physiotherapist
To book with Winta, click here