Infant Motor Development: Understanding Individual Differences

What characterizes infant motor development in terms of major developmental milestones?

a. both the sequence and the age-related timing
b. the sequence but not the age-related timing
c. the age-related timing but not the sequence
d. neither the sequence nor the age-related timing
Final answer:

Answer:

Infant motor development is characterized by individual variations in both the sequence and the age-related timing of the major developmental milestones.

Infant motor development is typically characterized by individual differences in both the sequence and the age-related timing of the major developmental milestones. This means that while there is a general pattern in which motor skills develop - such as learning to hold their heads up before sitting unassisted and tuning to sit before crawling and eventually walking - the specific age-related timing at which children reach these milestones can vary. Each child develops at a unique pace, influenced by factors like genes, biology, environment, and culture, which constitute both nature and nurture.

For instance, on average, most babies sit alone at 7 months old and hold their heads up at 6 weeks old. However, some babies may reach these milestones quicker or slower, with about 90% of babies reaching these milestones between 5 and 9 months and 3 weeks to 4 months old respectively.

Understanding these variations in infant motor development can help parents and caregivers track their child's progress and provide appropriate support and stimulation to encourage healthy motor skill development.