What are the major stages of a baby’s motor development? (0-6 months)
Dr. Valleteau de Moulliac,
Pediatric consultant for Laboratoires Sarbec
Here are the main stages of your baby’s motor development from birth to 6 months
- At birth, they cannot hold their head up and their movements are mostly reflexive and involuntary (primitive reflexes): automatic walking, grasp reflex of the hands. Your baby will grip your index fingers placed in each of their hands so tightly that you can lift them into a sitting position; the sucking reflex is essential for feeding.
- During the second month, they begin to lift their head and move their arms and legs in a disorganized way to express pleasure.
- At 3 months: the reflex movements disappear (which is necessary) to make way for the beginnings of more or less well-controlled voluntary movements. They hold their head up when sitting and follow objects with their eyes, turning both head and eyes.
- At 4 months: head control and visual tracking are perfectly acquired. The baby may start to roll from back to side; they discover their hands and watch them move; these are the beginnings of voluntary grasping.
- At 5 months: the baby pedals with their legs. They acquire and develop voluntary grasping of objects, which they bang, shake, or bring to their mouth. They may roll over or turn onto their back to follow your movements.
- At 6 months: the baby sits with support behind their back. They can move from lying on their back to lying on their stomach by themselves. They play with their feet when lying on their back and often put them in their mouth. On their stomach, on the changing table or play mat, they can push up on their forearms and lift their head and upper back. This allows them to roll from stomach to back. In a standing position, they start to straighten up or even bounce, which are essential precursors to walking. They grasp objects with their palm and begin to pass them from one hand to the other.
Note, every baby is unique and these milestones vary from one to another and develop at different rates. Each baby progresses at their own pace. Awakening and psychological development (intellectual, emotional, sensory, and behavioral) evolve alongside motor development and are inseparable.
