Development and milestones

Question 1

What are developmental milestones?

Answer 1

behaviours or physical skills seen in infants/children as they grow and develop

Question 2

What are the different areas of developmental milestones?

Answer 2

motor skills (gross and fine)
hearing and speech
vision
social and emotional

Question 3

What are the expected developmental milestones at 3 months?

• motor
• hearing and speech
• vision
• social

Answer 3

Motor:
- lifts head above midline when in prone position, brings hands to mouth, opens and shuts hands, grasps and shakes hand toys

Hearing and speech:
- squeals, coos and turns to sound

Vision:
- watches faces and follows objects

Social:
- smiling usually begins at around 6 weeks of age, starts to enjoy playing with other people

Question 4

What are the expected developmental milestones at 7 months?

• motor
• hearing and speech
• vision
• social

Answer 4

Motor:
- rolling (front to back and back to front), sits (initially with support and then without), transfers objects from hand to hand, uses a raking grasp

Hearing and speech:
- babbling, uses voices to express joy and displeasure, responds to their name, responds to no

Vision:
- develops colour vision, distance vision matures, can track objects

Social:
- enjoys social play e.g. peak a boo

Question 5

What are the expected developmental milestones at 12 months?

• motor
• hearing and speech
• vision
• social

Answer 5

Gross motor:
- reaches sitting position without help, crawls, pulls self to stand and walks holding furniture, may take a few steps unaided

Fine motor:
- uses a pincer grip, can bang two objects together, pokes with the index finger, scribbles

Speech and language:
- can follow simple commands, says mamma and dada, tries to imitate words

Social and emotional:
- had separation and stranger anxiety, finger feeds independently, will find hidden objects (object permanence), shows understanding through use of objects e.g. drinking cup, dialling a phone

Question 6

What is the moro reflex?

Answer 6

startling sound can cause the arms/legs and head to be thrown out then pulled back
- lasts until about 5-6 months

Question 7

What is the stepping reflex?

Answer 7

baby held upright they will attempt to step when their feet touch the ground

Question 8

What is the sucking reflex?

Answer 8

roof of the babies mouth is touched they will begin sucking

starts developing in 32nd week of pregnancy so premature babies can lack it

Question 9

What is the rooting reflex?

Answer 9

corner of the babies mouth is touched the baby will turn their head and move their mouth towards the stroking

Question 10

What is the tonic neck reflex?

Answer 10

babies head is turned to one side when flat that ipsilateral arm will extend whilst the contralateral arm will flex towards the head
lasts until 6-7 months

Question 11

What is the palmar grasp reflex?

Answer 11

stroking the palm of the hand causes it to close and grasp

lasts until 5-6 months

Question 12

What is the plantar reflex?

Answer 12

The normal response to stroking the lateral aspect of the plantar surface of the foot is extension of the great toe and fanning of the other toes
babinski reflex

Question 13

What is the babinski reflex?

Answer 13

sole of the foot is stroked the big toe bends up and back to the top of the foot and the other toes fan out - lasts until 2 years