Developmental Delays: When to Call a Doctor
Movement (Motor Skill) Delays
Gross motor skills are the abilities acquired to control the large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, crawling, and other activities. Fine motor skills are smaller actions such as grasping an object between the thumb and a finger or using the lips and tongue to taste objects.
Possible causes of motor skill delays:
• Premature birth (delayed muscle development rate)
• Lack of stimulation, or movement or problems with vision
• Autism, Cerebral palsy, or mental retardation
• Ataxia (a genetic defect that impairs muscle coordination) or myopathy
• Spina bifida (a genetic condition causing partial or total paralysis of the lower part of the body)
How you can help your child develop gross motor skills:
• Play hopscotch and jump rope; activities that help children learn balance
• Hitting, catching, kicking, or throwing a ball, such as a baseball or football; activities that help develop hand-eye or foot-eye coordination
• Kangaroo hop, in which children hold something, such as a small ball, between their knees and then jump with their feet together frontward, backwards, and sideways
• Playing wheelbarrow, in which someone holds the children’s legs while they walk on their hands
• Walking on a narrow bar or curb
• Toss and catch, in which children toss an object, such as a baseball, in the air and then catch it, while sitting or lying down and also while using alternate hands
Toddlers by the age of two years are usually very physically active and should have developed a variety of gross motor skills. He should be able to kick a ball, walk up and down the stairs, two feet per step. By the time he turns three, he should be able to go up the stairs, one foot per step, balance on one foot briefly, ride a tricycle and also run well. When he turns five—he will have better balance and would be able to hop and skip and possibly skate and even throw a ball.
Each child is unique and reaches developmental milestones at different rates, and at their own pace. However, if you suspect that your child has a delay in development, have your child evaluated immediately. Early intervention offers the highest response and success rates among children with special needs. In addition to that, watch for any loss of skills that have already been learned.
CALL A DOCTOR IF:
By 3-4 months, your child:
• Does not reach for, grasp, or hold objects
• Does not support his or her head well
• Does not bring objects to his or her mouth (by 4 months)
• Does not push down with legs when his or her feet are placed on a firm surface (by 4 months)
By 7 months, your child :
• Has stiff and tight or very floppy muscles
• Doesn’t roll over in either direction (by 5 months)
• Cannot sit up without help (by 6 months)
By 1 year, your child:
• Does not crawl
• Drags one sid e of his or her body while crawling
• Cannot stand when supported
By 2 years, your child:
• Cannot walk (by 18 months)
• Does not develop a heel-to-toe walking pat tern or walks only on toes
• Cannot push a wheeled toy
Do ask your child’s paediatrician for a more detailed timetable for development of motor skills.
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