Sensory and Motor Development in Babies: Does Your Child Need Professional Intervention?

The first year of a baby’s life establishes a foundation for much of the rest of their existence. This is particularly true in sensory and motor development. After decades of research, experts have come to understand how important and interconnected these systems are.

For example, if a child has a problem learning a particular skill that other children learn quite easily, it can be traced back to a motor system that serves that skill. That motor system, in turn, is controlled by a sensory system solidified in early development.

“Infants are born with a sensory system that is constantly developing so they can survive and interact within the world,” states David Blaski, a Franciscan Health occupational therapist with certifications in sensory integration and visual motor rehab.

However, some babies experience interruptions in expected development timelines. It’s important for parents, caregivers and pediatricians to recognize potential red flags.

Warning Signs And Symptoms

One significant warning sign is if an infant does not like being on their tummy, which could indicate an issue with muscle tone. During sleep, it’s always recommended to place babies on their backs. But, when they’re awake, Blaski urges “tummy time” to encourage the natural progression of crawling, sitting, and eventually walking.

“Crawling is one of the biggest developmental milestones, because a lot of your upper body strength and fine motor development occurs with crawling. We don’t want them to walk until they’re ready because those are the children who often develop coordination problems. We want infants to follow a specific neurodevelopmental pattern in order to have everything they need to succeed later on in life.”

Other indications include a child who has trouble self-soothing, refuses to go to anyone other than the parents, exhibits fussiness in being changed or bathed, and has a lack of interest in playing with toys. To be clear, these may be “normal” for that child—but it’s never a bad idea to get things checked out.

Optimizing Outcomes With Early Intervention

With potential motor and sensory issues, the sooner intervention takes place the better. In fact, Blaski even works with premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). There’s a crucial follow-up timeline that optimizes these preemies’ outcomes.

“We've been very successful over many years now, of being able to see some of the things that could be early warning signs of cerebral palsy or any other neuromotor or neuromuscular problems. If we can get to that child early, and provide the parents with the means of what they need to do and how to handle the scenario, we can avoid the longer term disability.”

Blaski recounts one patient, a 13-month old who could not sit up and refused to eat anything but breast milk. It turns out, she had a condition called sensory defensiveness—which is an over-responsivity to sensory input. By implementing a deep pressure therapy called the Wilbarger protocol, the child made massive improvements in mobility and nutrition in mere weeks.

The Power Of Empowered Caregivers

The other key factor in ensuring optimal sensory and motor development is for parents and caregivers to have all the resources they need to make informed decisions. Blaski urges parents to voice any concerns and seek out help if they suspect lapses in development.

“When a parent tells you something is wrong with their child, statistics are high the parent is right," Blaski said. "We want parents to be empowered. When they are concerned or they want something checked out just for their own peace of mind, we're a resource for that. We will listen to them, and we will give them the information they need to help their child to succeed. One of the nicest compliments I ever received was from a parent who told me, ‘I brought you a child with problems and you gave me back a daughter.’”

Listen Now: Sensory & Motor Development In Babies 

Some babies experience interruptions in expected development timelines. It’s important for parents, caregivers, and pediatricians to recognize potential red flags. David Blaski, occupational therapist with certifications in sensory integration and visual motor rehab, discusses sensory and motor development in babies and how occupational therapy can help with your infant's development in the Franciscan Health DocPod podcast.