Pillars in the Making - Mar 2012

Kid’s Movement

How babies start moving

Have you ever been aware of how the movements in child begin, or think about the question of “How children learn how to walk”? Sometimes you will find daddy playing football with little kids in playground. When they were chasing after the ball, it’s hard for them to get balance. As a result, they all look like they are about to fell down. Before these things can happen, there are a series of muscles development involved, and this development follows a distinct pattern of sequences.  

Development of babies is caused by maturation. The term maturation included all relatively stable changes in thought, behavior, and physical growth which is due to the aging process but not to experience. Although each child go through this process at different rate, their development still follows the same basic maturation pattern.

Cause of motor development

At birth, infant’s most important movements are reflexes in response to specific stimuli. Reflexes include sucking, rooting (when baby’s cheek is touched, baby will turn its head towards the touching direction) and swallowing responses. Reflexes are important for baby’s survival. Two essential ingredients involved the maturation of the child’s nervous system and practice. As development of nervous system is incomplete at birth, considerable growth occurs during the first several months. Particular kinds of movement will not occur until the development of necessary neuromuscular system complete. Other than that, physical development of the nervous system depends greatly on the ways baby moves while interacting with the environment.

The Milestone of children motor development

The motor development shows predictable pattern, starting from head to foot. Different steps of motor development are effect by both previous development and a cause of further development. There are 12 developmental stages; a brief description of motor development is shown in the picture below; 

Basic Motor development stages

It is very interesting to know that children’s movement follows a complex series of development, and I can simply answer the question of why baby can only do certain movements in certain period of time. Hope that you can enhance your understanding in children’s behavior development.

Vicky Wong

References:

Patterson, C. (2008), Child Development, New york: McGraw-Hill 

Carlson, N. (1942). Psychology: The science of behavior. Boston : Allyn & Bacon, P. 34

Shirley, M. M. (1933). The first two year: Vol. 2. Intellectual development. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota press.