Psychomotor Development in Children

This article will provide detailed information on the psychomotor development of children at different stages, from infancy to puberty, including influencing factors, assessment parameters, and notes on common pathologies.

I. Stages of Psychomotor Development

The psychomotor development of children is divided into the following stages:

1. Neonatal (1-28 days)

• Key developments: Rapid weight gain, reflexes, establishing basic bodily functions, and initial sensory development.

• Typical milestones: Strong sucking reflex, rooting reflex, grasping reflex, startle reflex (Moro reflex), and the ability to track movement.

2. Infancy (2 months – 1 year)

• Key developments: Rapid growth, motor skills development, sensory exploration, and social-emotional development.

• Typical milestones: Rolling over, sitting up, crawling, standing, taking first steps, and babbling.

3. Toddlerhood (2-3 years)

• Key developments: Fine motor skills development, language acquisition, and social interaction.

• Typical milestones: Walking independently, running, jumping, throwing a ball, and speaking in short sentences.

4. Preschool (3-5 years)

• Key developments: Further development of fine and gross motor skills, increased language comprehension and vocabulary, and increased social and emotional understanding.

• Typical milestones: Climbing stairs, riding a tricycle, drawing simple shapes, dressing themselves, and engaging in pretend play.

5. School-age (6-12 years)

• Key developments: Improved coordination and balance, increased physical strength and endurance, development of abstract thinking, and social skills development.

• Typical milestones: Playing organized sports, writing, reading fluently, and making friends.

6. Puberty

• Key developments: Rapid physical growth and sexual maturation.

• Typical milestones: Development of secondary sex characteristics, including breast development, pubic hair growth, and menarche in girls and testicular growth, pubic hair growth, and voice deepening in boys.

II. Phenomena of Psychomotor Development

1. Adaptive Phenomena:

• This refers to changes in the function of organs to adapt to a new environment.

• Common period: Neonatal.

2. Growth Phenomena:

• This refers to an increase in the quantity and quality of cells, tissues, and organs, leading to an increase in size and function.

• Common periods: Infancy, Toddlerhood, Preschool, School-age.

3. Maturation Phenomena:

• This refers to the highest level of perfection of the organs in terms of their quality of function. Under the strong activity of hormones, cells change in structure and function.

• Common period: Puberty.

III. Factors Influencing Psychomotor Development

1. Genetic Factors:

• These determine the child’s developmental potential.

2. Racial Factors:

• This influences height, weight, skin color, and other physical characteristics.

3. Hormonal Factors:

• Growth hormones like GH (growth hormone), TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), and sex hormones (estrogen, testosterone) play critical roles in regulating organ development.

4. Psychosocial Factors:

• The living environment, love, care, and education have a significant impact on the child’s psychomotor development.

Note: Psychological and environmental factors have the most influence during puberty, as children undergo complex psycho-physiological changes.

IV. Development Rate of Some Organs

• Brain: Develops most rapidly during the first year (almost complete by age 6).

• Limbs: Develop strongly before puberty.

• Spinal Column: Develops strongly during puberty.

• Glands and Sex Organs: Develop primarily during puberty.

V. Assessing the Child’s Physical Development

1. Two Key Indicators:

• Weight Curve (WC): Reflects nutrition and growth.

• Height Curve (HC): Reflects growth in height.

Note: These two curves help assess an entire developmental process, not just a specific point in time.

2. Weight Curve:

• First 3 months: Gain 30g/day.

• From 3 months onwards: Gain 20-25g/day.

• 3-6 months: Gain 20g/day.

• After 6 months – 2 years: Gain 10g/day.

• After 2 years: Gain 2-4kg/year.

• 6 months: Double birth weight.

• 12 months: Triple birth weight.

• 24 months: Quadruple birth weight.

• 6 years: Approximately 20kg.

3. Height Curve:

• Birth: 48-50cm.

• First year: Gain 20-25cm (the first 3 months gain 10-12cm) => 70-75cm.

• 2 years: Gain 12cm => 82-87cm.

• 3 years: Gain 10cm => 92-97cm.

• 4 years: Gain 7cm => 99-104cm.

• From 5 years: Gain 2-3cm/year.

• Puberty: Growth spurt due to hormone secretion.

4. Head Circumference:

• This is the largest diameter of the skull (through the middle of the forehead – around the two ears – through the two most prominent points of the occipital bone).

• It reflects brain development and the volume of the brain inside.

• Head circumference:

• Birth: 34-35cm (T/2 + 10).

• First 6 months: 44cm => increase of 9cm.

• 1 year: 47cm.

• 2 years: Increase 2-3cm.

• 6 years: 54-55cm = ADULT.

5. Development of Soft Tissues:

• Muscle mass (muscle) reflects nutritional status.

• Arm circumference is used to assess muscle mass.

• Arm circumference of children 1-5 years old: 14-16cm. Below 12cm => Severe malnutrition.

6. Development of Teeth:

• The number of teeth helps assess nutritional status and estimate age.

• Teeth erupt from 6 months – 18 months.

• Malnutrition and rickets can cause delayed tooth eruption.

7. Bone Age:

• Bone age usually corresponds to all three parameters: cartilage – real age – height.

VI. Assessing the Level of Puberty

1. Girls:

• Start of puberty: 9-16 years (average 11 years).

• Early puberty: Before 8 years.

• Stages:

• Stage 1: No signs of puberty.

• Stage 2: A little pubic hair, armpit hair + breast development.

• Stage 3-4: More hair + nipple development + labia majora and minora develop.

• Stage 5: Menarche begins (usually about 2 years after stage 2).

2. Boys:

• Start of puberty: 10-15 years (average 12 years).

• Early puberty: Before 9 years.

• Stages:

• Stage 1: No signs of puberty.

• Stage 2: Pubic hair, armpit hair + testicular volume, penis development.

• Stage 3: Voice break.

• Stage 4: Increased muscle mass.

• Stage 5: Signs of ejaculation.

VII. Pathological Features at Different Developmental Stages

1. Neonatal:

• Congenital diseases: Severe congenital malformations, homozygous genetic diseases affecting adaptive capacity.

• Acquired diseases: Due to unprepared organs: Respiratory failure, meningitis, hypoglycemia, hypothermia, severe infections.

Note: Premature infants can catch up to normal infants if their diet is correct in terms of energy.

2. Infancy:

• Acquired diseases: Respiratory and digestive infections, dehydration, febrile convulsions, anemia, iron deficiency, foreign body airway accidents, skull trauma.

• Note: Months 2 and 3 may resemble the neonatal period in terms of pathology.

3. 2-3 years:

• Diseases: Similar to older infants, febrile convulsions, viral respiratory and digestive infections, otitis media, acute intussusception, increased accidents.

4. 3-5 years:

• Diseases: Contagious diseases, sinusitis, tonsillitis, allergic diseases, accidents.

5. 6-12 years:

• Diseases: Decreased infectious diseases, chronic diseases, intentional poisoning, school diseases.

6. Puberty:

• Puberty diseases: Acne, menstrual irregularities, brain vascular malformation rupture, increased suicide and mental illness.

Note: Febrile convulsions are usually rare after age 6.

VIII. General Notes

• The psychomotor development of children is a complex process that depends on many factors.

• It is essential to closely monitor the child’s development and take them for regular check-ups to detect abnormalities early.

• Proper care, nutrition, and education are essential factors that contribute to the child’s healthy development.

We hope this article has provided you with useful information about the psychomotor development of children.