Temporal and spatial relationship between reaching and grasping. Commentary on "A new view on grasping"

Hand movements during infancy and toddlerhood develop from broad, relatively uncontrolled actions into increasingly precise fine motor skills. This progression depends on nervous system maturation, improved muscle control, and repeated interaction with objects. Early reflexive movements gradually give way to intentional reaching, grasping, object manipulation, and tool use.Early Grasping SkillsNewborns show a strong palmar grasp reflex, automatically closing their fingers when the palm is...

Information is everywhere and its presentation—such as how and when items are presented—can impact our perceptions and decisions surrounding the info. This broad concept umbrellas framing effects—influences that occur due to the way information is framed in its appearance, whether it’s purely the order or the specific wording of a message. Let’s take a look at numerous ways in which two versions of something can objectively say the same thing, yet we respond in different ways based on the...

Physical development during the prenatal period and early childhood follows two major directional principles: cephalocaudal and proximodistal development. These general patterns happen simultaneously and help explain changes in body proportions and the gradual development of motor skills.Cephalocaudal DevelopmentThe cephalocaudal principle describes development from the head downward toward the lower body. During prenatal development, the head and brain structures develop rapidly before many...

Gestures are nonverbal movements of the hands, arms, or face that allow infants and toddlers to communicate emotions, needs, and intentions before speech develops. Gesture use generally appears before spoken language and decreases as vocabulary expands. For example, an 11-month-old may raise their arms to request being picked up, whereas an 18-month-old may say “up.”Types of GesturesChildren mainly use deictic and representational gestures. Deictic gestures emerge around six months and include...

The control of head posture and movement is an important early milestone in motor development. During the first four months of life, infants gradually learn to stabilize and move their heads against gravity. Head control depends on the gradual strengthening and coordination of the neck, shoulder, and upper trunk muscles.Early Head MovementsAt birth, infants have limited control over their heads because their neck muscles are still weak. While lying on their backs, newborns can usually turn...