Infants are born with a natural curiosity about the world and the ability to pay attention to interesting objects (especially faces and hands) that come into their field of vision and will even stick out their tongues after watching a caregiver do the same.
Within weeks they start to reach for and explore with their hands interesting objects that catch their attention and by 8 months when they start to sit they have developed quite sophisticated ability for sustained attention to a task and the ability to manipulate toys using a full range of hand actions.
This development of sustained attention and visual and manual exploration of toys is strongly influenced by the infant’s social environment. A responsive and rich environment which provides many opportunities that are just right for the infant’s level of development promotes optimal development of attention and fine motor skills.
This is particularly true for infants who are born premature and those who are risk for autism or have form of developmental delay. For these infants early and responsive intervention to promote social, attention and fine motor skills is very important for ensuring optimal development.
Long term follow up studies have shown that premature infants have a greater risk of developing attention and fine motor problems when they enter school. Early intervention has been shown to reduce this risk.
Importance of face-to-face conversations
From birth infants are able to imitate other people’s mouth movements and soon start to mirror the expressions on their caregiver’s faces.
Infants love to have conversations with their caregivers. Mothers are very good at setting up turn taking in these conversations: they say something and then give the infant a chance to respond. By 3-4 months infants are adding their own voice to the conversation as they coo and gurgle in response. These conversations provide the infant with their first experience of sustaining their attention on a task for minutes at a time.
Reaching, grasping and manipulation
Within weeks newborn infants start to reach towards their carer’s faces and interesting objects within reach. Early reaching is a bit of a hit and miss affair, but soon the infant manages to grasp and explore toys that are suspended within easy reach.
At 3-4 months infants are able to hold the head steady in the midline and bring the hands together to hold and explore toys. What is quite remarkable is how, by this age, infants have developed the ability to pay careful and sustained attention to what they are doing with their hands: they prod, grasp, pull, and push the toy.
This exploration of toys teaches them a great deal about the relationship between what things look like, how they feel and how they respond to being manipulated.
Lots of experience with manipulating toys also provides the brain and the hand muscles with the experience they needs to control the movements of the fingers for the basic grasping actions.
Early action: newborn to sitting
Newborn moments of repose and visual contact
Hands lightly fisted when lying quietly
Looks intently at interesting objects - this is sometimes called visual reaching.
Visually tracks moving toy.
Looks with interest at caregiver's face
Responds to caregivers voice. Will imitate mouth movements if prompted by caregiver.
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Swipes at toys in reaching distance
Fingers are extended.
Sometimes manages to grasp toy.
Looks at own hands with great interest
Also watches hands of social companion.
Brings both hands to mouth
From 2-3 months infants can hold their heads steady in the mid-line and bring their hands to their mouths.
Watches and reaches towards caregiver's face
Faces interest infants. Infants love to have conversations with caregivers.
Reaches for, feels and grasps toys with two hands
Hand not shaped to match the toy. Grasp is still hit and miss.
Uses fingers to explore a toy
Watches own actions carefully - this helps the infant to make connections in the brain between what he sees and what he feels.
Holds a toy in one hand briefly
Will hold and shake a rattle when it is placed in the hand. Grip is not secure. Drops toy quickly.
