Gross Motor Development Milestones in Infants

Gross motor skills involve the muscles of the legs, arms, back, and shoulders that are used to help infants sit, walk, run, jump, and climb.

Physical development is orderly and occurs in predictable sequence. For example, the motor sequence (order of new movements) for infants involves the following orderly sequence:

• Head and trunk control (infant lifts head, watches a moving object by moving the head from side to side - occurs in the first few months after birth)
• Infant rolls over turning from the stomach to the back first, then from back to stomach - four or five months of age
• Sit upright in a high chair (requires development of strength in the back and neck muscles) - four to six months of age.
• Infant gradually is able to pull self into sitting positions
• Crawling - occurs soon after the child learns to roll onto the stomach by pulling with the arms and wiggling the stomach (some infants push with their legs)
• Hitching - infant must be able to sit without support; from the sitting position, they move their arms and legs, sliding the buttocks across the floor
• Creeping - As the arms and legs gain more strength, the infant supports his weight on hands and knees
• Stand with help - as arms and legs become stronger
• Stand while holding on to furniture
• Walk with help with better leg strength and coordination
• Pull self up in a standing position
• Stand alone without any support
• Walk alone without any support or help

Newborn babies have a stepping reflex that is fun to play with. Hold the baby under the arms (grasping around the chest firmly - not cranking on delicate shoulder joints) and “stand” him in an upright position on the floor. When the baby's foot touches the ground he'll lift it up, lowering the other foot as though walking. This baby reflex fades after about two months so enjoy the baby game while it lasts.

Related Training:
Stages of Physical Growth and Development in Infants (1 hour / .1 CEU)