Physical Development in 0-1 Year Old Babies
The baby’s first year is the year in which physical development is the fastest. The maturation of the body, weight gain, height increase, development of reflexes, strengthening of the muscles and increase in the control of muscle movements are examples of physical development.
Physical development in 0-1 year old babies
The baby’s first year is the year in which physical development is the fastest. The maturation of the body, weight gain, height increase, development of reflexes, strengthening of the muscles and increase in the control of muscle movements are examples of physical development. Physical development continues throughout life and is best observed during childhood and adolescence. In the first years of the baby’s birth, parents can easily observe the physical development of their baby.
In the first months following birth, the baby experiences the fastest physical development, and its height and weight increase rapidly. In addition, when the newborn baby is laid on his back, he can turn his head to the right and left, and can move his arms and legs. In the first month, the baby cannot control its head in an upright position, when it is held, its legs sag and its back becomes hunched. In the following months, the baby, whose muscles get stronger and who can control his body better, can easily turn his head left and right at the beginning of the second month, can raise his head for a short time when laid on his stomach, and can raise his head from the ground for a short time with the help of his arms and elbows in the third month and keep it upright. The baby is born with sucking and catching reflexes, and these reflexes get stronger as the baby develops. He turns towards the object that touches his cheek and tries to suck it. He can grasp the finger placed in his palm and the objects he can grasp.
The baby, who has completed his second month, can be brought to a sitting position for a short time by holding his hands, but it is inconvenient to sit the baby for a long time since the spine development is not yet completed. In this month, the baby’s catching reflex continues to strengthen, putting toys in different sizes that he can grasp, and telling the names of the toys and explaining their functions both improve this reflex and help the baby get to know his environment. In the third month, the baby gains a little more control of his arms and legs, he can pull his legs towards his stomach when he is in a lying position, his hands, which he has been holding since birth, begin to open slowly. In the first months, the baby should not be left lying in the same position all the time, the baby lying on his back should be laid on his stomach later on, his head and back should be supported, and he should be picked up and walked around.
Your baby is now sitting up
The baby’s main voluntary movements will begin in the fourth month, starting from this month, he can turn left and right when he is lying on his back, his hands and arms are very active, and he enjoys watching and examining his hands and feet. The baby now begins to learn to sit, to try to pass objects from one hand to the other, to hold his head upright for a much longer period of time. The baby, whose field of vision widens by being able to hold his head up high, reaches out to the objects around him, starts to catch these objects in the fifth month, puts the objects in his hand into his mouth and tries to recognize them.
The baby starts to sit on the lap and highchair, try to get up when held supported and his feet touch the ground at the fifth month. The baby, who has gained more control of his hands, arms and legs, can hold the bottle with both hands, starts to hold toys and other objects on his own will, not reflexively, masters these skills in the sixth month and starts to hold the objects with his fingers in the eighth month.
The baby, who can sit with support in the sixth month, can sit without support for a short time in the seventh month, and while in the sitting position, he can try to stand up by getting support from the furniture around him, such as the sofa and coffee table. In the eighth month, he begins to move from a lying position to a sitting position, to sit without support for a long time, and to take care of his toys. The baby who is trying to crawl or even crawling can stand by taking support from the furniture, as of the ninth month, the baby starts to sort and walk without support by getting support from somewhere. By the tenth month, they can crawl quickly and stand on their own, take steps with support, and by the age of one, some children begin walking efforts, while others begin to walk.
More related period with toys
The baby, who starts to grasp the objects with his thumb and forefinger in the ninth month, can easily grasp the objects in the tenth month and pass them from one hand to the other without dropping them. At the first age, he can sit for long periods without support and play with his toys, put the toys side by side, throw them in the basket and take them out of the basket.
Physical development is a gradual process and parents need to support the baby’s physical activity and provide the most suitable environment for its development. Small gymnastic movements to develop arm and leg muscles starting from the first months, activities and toys that will support the baby’s fine motor skills will be beneficial. When the baby is able to hold the bottle by himself, when he tries to bring the spoon to his mouth, he should not be prevented, every activity that he can do on his own should be supported, besides, the baby should not be forced to do things for which he is not ready. Although the development process of each child is different, it is necessary to consult a specialist in any observed delay.