THIRD TRIMESTER OF

DEVELOPMENT
(6 to 9 Months)

M Tshabalala
 THIRD TRIMESTER:
(6 To 9 Months)
This timester is characterized by the achievement of:
• Rolling from prone to supine & vice versa
• Vertical head & trunk control to sit alone
• Creeping/ crawling and pivotting with abdomen on
surface
• Reach & grasp to play with body parts
• Pats mirror image
• Takes wt and steps if held upright
• Has full extension of arms, legs & body.
 SEVENTH MOTH
(28 WEEKS)
MILESTONES ACHIEVED:
• Development of rotation and balance
• ER in supine (integrating in sitting)
• Protective extension sideways often present
• Assumes quadruped & crawls fwd and backwd, side sitting
transitions
 SEVENTH MOTH
(28 WEEKS)
POSTURES:
• PRONE: Rolls over from supine to prone
Assume quadruped, UL: ext of elbows, wrists, fingers & LL: flexion of hips, knees
Trunk: Lx lordosis
Rocks (verstibular stimulation)
Pivots in prone: wt shift in UL sideways – grasp changes from ulnar to radial

Crawling: often belly crawl

briefly & 4pt. or reciprocal crawlig
backwards and forwards
 SEVENTH MOTH
(28 WEEKS)
• SUPINE:
Spontaneously lifts head off the couch
Does not like supine, rolls out of this position

• PULL TO SIT:
Pulls himself up to sit, UL pulls and LL goes into hip flexion & knee
extension

• SITTING:
Assumes sitting from quadruped
Has lateral pelvic wt shift
RR & ER developing
Free hands for exploring
 SEVENTH MOTH
(28 WEEKS)

7months: gets herself to sit 7month: free hand for exploring

 SEVENTH MOTH
(28 WEEKS)
• SIDE LYING:
Plays in side lying

• STANDING:
Pulls to stand – through kneeling, ½ kneeling
Develops rotation of upper trunk ---> posterolateral transfer of gravity --->
yielding flexion & abduction responses in opposite leg
---> and diagonal transfer of the lower trunk
Rocks anterior/ posteriorly while holding on with both hands, there is an
interplay of flexion & extension. Begin to let go with one hand.
Increasing hip abduction and bounces
Walks with assistance of hands held at shoulder hieght, cannot sit from standing
 SEVENTH MOTH
(28 WEEKS)

NB: 7month old baby bears full

weight on the lower limbs Practice walking
 SEVENTH MOTH
(28 WEEKS)
• COMMUNICATION:
Has made progress in babbling, often practice his new vocal skills &
uses them to attract mothers attention
If mother does not come quickly he babbles louder & louder!
Interested in music & various noises

• SOCIALLY:
This a transition period for the baby, plays on his own, but mother’s
presence has become crucially important for him
Enjoys sitting, side lying & playing with his feet
Starts crying as soon as mother leaves the room
He is better in manipulating objects/ toys
Pats image of self in the mirror
 EIGHT MONTHS
(32 WEEKS)
GENERAL INFORAMATION:
● Good ER in sitting, only integrating in quadruped
Appearance of sitting balance and rotation becomes well coordinated
Protective ext. sideways
Rolling well coordinated
● PRONE:
Crawling on 4pts the primary means of locomotion
Transition from quadruped to sitting - uses lateral RR
Prone to sit with complete rotation
 EIGHT MONTHS
(32 WEEKS...)
● SITTING:
Good trunk control & uses LL for stability
Rotations counter balanced by sideways PR or ER
Transition of sitting to quadruped with wt bearing hip as pivot
NB: Homolateral crawling occur when trunk control not sufficient to
support counter rotation.
Bear walking and reaching in quadruped
Achieve kneeling from quadruped without need for UL support to
raise his trunk up

● SIDE LYING:
Plays in side lying
 EIGHT MONTHS
(32 WEEKS...)
● STANDING:
PTS through kneeling, half kneeling
Rotates trunk over LL, increasing wt shift
Activate hip stabilizing muscles & elongate hip flexors
Uses wide abductors to increase BOS
Although gaining active control & mvt of trunk, cannot sit from
standing until flexor control is developed!

● AMBULATION:
Cruising noted sideways by holding on to furniture
Using “steppage” gait - depend on hands held at shoulder height, legs
are extremely abducted and ext rotated
Weight shift during this activity is undeveloped
 EIGHT MONTHS
(32 WEEKS...)

8 months:Bear walking
8 month: Child standing
& cruising on furniture
EIGHT MONTHS
(32 WEEKS...)

Reaching for toys outside

reach
 EIGHT MONTHS
(32 WEEKS...)
● HANDS:
Adept to grasps with thumb and little finger
Btw 8 & 10 months forefinger becomes more active and supple
Enjoys ‘casting’ things, discovered that they make a noise

● COMMUNICATION:
Child using combined syllables, Imitates sounds
Talks to himself & others, sometimes backs this with gestures &
expressions to assert what he is saying
● SOCIALLY:
Eager to demonstrate new play skills from morning till evening
Has ‘crisis anxiety’ - able to see that mommy is leaving!
Loves mirror games, has very strong emotions (tears & laughter)
 NINTH MONTH
(36 WEEKS)
• Characterized by improved acquisition of balance &
progression
• Landau very strong
• Sitting transitions with good trunk control
• Reciprocal creeping
• Bear walking
 NINTH MONTH
(36 WEEKS…)
• SITTING:
Increased trunk control
Most functional versatile position
Utilizes various LL extremeties
Frequently side sits – uses increased hip mobility
May “W” or “M” sit but gets in an out of position
Developing and using finer manipulative skills
NINTH MONTH
(36 WEEKS…)

9 Months: sitting and

exploting an object
 NINTH MONTH
(36 WEEKS…)
• QUADRUPED:
Crawling/ creeping is the primary means of locomotion
The child may also Bear-walk

• STANDING:
Uses UL & LL more actively, goes through ½ kneeling to
stand
Cruises around furniture, semi-turns in direction to which
he is going
NINTH MONTH
(36 WEEKS…)
 NINTH MONTH
(36 WEEKS…)
• WALKING:
Walks confidently with two hands held, beginning to walk
with one hand held
Decreased LL abduction & external rotation
continues developing skills to initiate utilization of cruising

• COMMUNICATION:
Child may start to say a few words eg. ‘mama’followed by
‘papa’
 NINTH MONTH
(36 WEEKS…)
• SOCIALLY:
Child is extremely active & more skilled in using his
hands
Can pick objects with the tip of his thumb and the tip of
his forefinger (eg. marbel, button or piece of string)
Explores the FROM he now has
Wants to remain in the proxy of his mother
Abel to orchastrate a separation in the knowledge (can
anticipate events & knows they come to an end)