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A Comprehensive Gross Motor Checklist for Infants (0-1 Years)
June 2, 2024
Physiotherapy
A Comprehensive Gross Motor Checklist for Infants (0-1 Years)
Monitoring your infant’s gross motor development during their first year is crucial for ensuring they reach important milestones. Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body and are essential for movement and coordination. This checklist will guide you through the key gross motor milestones to look out for as your baby grows.
0-3 Months: Building Strength and Control
1. Tummy Time:
● Why It’s Important: Tummy time strengthens the neck, shoulder, and arm muscles, preparing your baby for future milestones like rolling and crawling. It also helps prevent musculoskeletal issues like flat head syndrome.
● What to Look For: Your baby should gradually start lifting their head and chest while on their tummy, using their arms for support. They should be able to hold this position for longer periods as they approach three months.
2. Head Control:
● Why It’s Important: Good head control is necessary for sitting, crawling, eating, and improving fine motor skills. It also helps prevent torticollis.
● What to Look For: By the end of three months, your baby should be able to hold their head up steadily when supported in a sitting position.
3. Kicking and arms moving:
● Why It’s Important: These movements strengthen arms and leg muscles and improve coordination, preparing your baby for rolling and crawling.
● What to Look For: Your baby should frequently bring their hands to the midline, kick their legs, and wave their arms when lying on their back.
4-6 Months: Rolling and Reaching
4. Rolling:
● Why It’s Important: Rolling is one of the first major movements your baby will make independently. It helps improve floor mobility and core strength for other transitional movements like lying to sitting. It also helps reduce the risk of flat head
syndrome.
● What to Look For: Your baby should begin to roll from tummy to back (on both sides).
5. Reaching and Grasping:
● Why It’s Important: These actions help develop hand-eye coordination and muscle strength, assisting in play, fine motor skills, and future eating skills.
● What to Look For: Your baby should reach for toys, bring them to their mouth, maintain a grasp during arm movements, and use a palmar hold (using the whole hand to hold objects).
6. Supported Sitting:
● Why It’s Important: Sitting helps your baby develop core muscles and balance, which is also beneficial for eating and swallowing.
● What to Look For: By six months, your baby should be able to sit upright with minimal support from you and hold their head steady.
7-9 Months: Crawling and Sitting Independently
7. Sitting Independently:
● Why It’s Important: Independent sitting is crucial for play and interaction.
● What to Look For: Your baby should sit without support and use their hands to play with toys and rotate their body to both sides without falling.
8. Crawling:
● Why It’s Important: Crawling develops strength and coordination and prepares your baby for walking.
● What to Look For: Your baby may start with creeping, then commando crawling, and progress to crawling on hands and knees. By nine months, they should be able to crawl on hands and knees smoothly and effectively.
9. Pulling to Stand:
● Why It’s Important: Pulling to stand strengthens leg muscles and improves balance.
● What to Look For: Your baby should begin to grasp objects (like parents or furniture) firmly and pull themselves up to a standing position, initially with a straight pull to stand, progressing to using a half-kneel to stand as they get stronger.
10-12 Months: Standing and Cruising
10. Standing:
● Why It’s Important: Standing independently is a precursor to walking.
● What to Look For: Your baby should be able to stand for a few seconds without support, progressing to standing independently with no support, squatting to pick up toys, and standing with no assistance while turning their body to reach for objects.
11. Cruising:
● Why It’s Important: Cruising around furniture helps develop balance and coordination.
● What to Look For: Your baby should start building up good weight shifting on his/her legs and moving along furniture in both directions while holding on for support.
12. Walking:
● Why It’s Important: Taking first steps marks the beginning of walking.
● What to Look For: Around 12-13 months, your baby should take a few steps independently, often starting with holding onto a hand or furniture. Initially, their steps may be wobbly and small, but with more practice, they will be able to walk independently with good cadence and stride length.
Supporting Your Baby’s Development
Every baby develops at their own pace, but there are ways you can support their gross motor development:
● Encourage Tummy Time: Start with a few minutes and gradually increase the duration as your baby gets stronger. Aim to have your baby’s head off the bed or floor once they are awake and have finished feeding.
● Provide Safe Play Areas: Create a safe environment where your baby can explore and practice new movements, such as using a soft mat.
● Use Toys and Games: Toys that promote reaching, grasping, and movement can encourage your baby to practice their skills.
● Stay Engaged: Interact with your baby during playtime to motivate them and make activities enjoyable.
When to Seek Help
If you notice your baby is not reaching several of these milestones, contact Kangamove Therapy . Our experienced pediatric physiotherapists will conduct a comprehensive assessment and provide tailored solutions. This includes teaching and practicing various exercises (such as strength, stretching, balance, transitional movements, and coordination exercises) with both baby and parents, and creating a home exercise program for parents to continue outside of sessions. Early intervention can make a significant difference in your child’s development.
Conclusion
Tracking your baby’s gross motor development during their first year is essential for ensuring they reach important milestones. This checklist provides a guide to the key skills to look for and ways to support your baby’s growth. Remember, every child is unique, and they may reach these milestones at their own pace. Celebrate each achievement and provide a nurturing environment to help your baby thrive.