FOURTH TRIMESTER OF

DEVELOPMENT

M Tshabalala
 FOUTH TRIMESTER
(9 - 12 MONTHS)
CHARACTERIZED BY:
Developing good intrinsic muscle control of the hand
Two hand coordination for skilled manipulations
Developing perception and related skills to problem solve
Independent feeding (messy)
Developing kn stand transition & climbing skills
Protective extension backwards present & mature
Independent ambulation
 TENTH MONTH
(40 WEEKS)

SITTING:
Increased UL fine skills, uses more LL primitive
positioning (eg tailor sitting)
UL mirroring during fine motor skills & uses pincer grasp
and tripod grasp
Child can wring his clothes or open container - unilateral
hand use developing
Transition to quadruped
TENTH MONTH
(40 WEEKS...)
 TENTH MONTH
(40 WEEKS...)

STANDING:
Rises through kneeling and half kneeling
Has developing good spatial perception that improve his
problem solving ability
Has co-contraction and develop good interplay flexors &
extensors to lower himself to sitting (hip & knee control)
Still using a wide BOS to stand independently OR with
minimal support
Rises to toes to strengthen triceps surae & tibialis posterior
TENTH MONTH
(40 WEEKS...)

10 Months: Child standing on

his toes
Cruising facing where he is
going
 TENTH MONTH
(40 WEEKS...)

AMBULATION:
Begin to cruise with lateral movements (may hold on wall)
Two-hands supported:
- pelvic rotation (pivot hips on stable shoulders)
- has shoulder and hip dissociation
- pelvis rotation initiate reciprocal stepping
- decreased LL abduction & external rotation
Walk with one arm-support using a wide BOS
TENTH MONTH
(40 WEEKS...)

10 Months: walking with a

wide BOS one hand held
 TENTH MONTH
(40 WEEKS...)
COMMUNICATION:
Reached a stage prior to actual speech
Sensitive to speech, cry when scolded OR spoken to sharply by
someone closest to him
One word can have a variety of meaning e.g. milk for any liquid
SOCIALLY:
Able to move around with ease, practice new skills for hours.
Exploring objects more with his fingers, can carry objects while
on quadruped.
Child very emotional, mother need to encourage rather than
hinder progress. Enjoy games with mother OR siblings.
 ELEVENTH MONTH
(44 WEEKS…)

SITTING:
Has a various sitting positionings – long sitting; side sitting
Improved trunk control with transition btw different sitting
posittions
Squatting activity developing

KNEELING & ½ KNEELING:

Uses this position more frequently --> more hip control
ELEVENTH MONTH
(44 WEEKS…)

NB: Various sitting Positions

 ELEVENTH MONTH
(44 WEEKS)

STANDING:
Utilizes kn > ½ kn > squat > symmetrical LL extension &
trunk elevation to achieve standing.
May stand without support briefly with wide BOS & high
guard position of UL, UL used very little
Increased hip OR LL control
Stands, picks one foot breifly
ELEVENTH MONTH
(44 WEEKS…)

NB: Child squats to

improve muscle control
& strength of the LL
 ELEVENTH MONTH
(44 WEEKS…)

AMBULATION:
Begins to take a few steps alone with lateral trunk flexion
Uses more RR than Balance rxns
Cruising to furniture out of reach
Has skills to climb onto furniture & climb off backwards

COMMUNICATION:
Uses fairly meaningful one and two word sentences eg. ‘milk
all gone’
Also uses words and gestures
 ELEVENTH MONTH
(44 WEEKS…)

SOCIALLY:
This is a transition period, uses motor ability to widen his
intellectual horizon.
Shakes his head to say ‘no’ sometimes for the sheer
pleasure, It is more difficult to say ‘yes’ by words or
gesture.
Imitation is most important at this age, watches people eat
& wipe their hands and wants to do like wise.
Plays with balls of various sizes
ELEVENTH MONTH
(44 WEEKS…)
 TWELVE MONTHS
(48 WEEKS)

Mainly characterized by:

- Well integrated RR in most movts
- ER present in all positions except standing

TO STAND:
Rise with legs either through ½ kn or squat, No longer
need UL
STANDING:
Able to wt shift and lift one leg
Stands independently with decreased high guard & BOS
 TWELVE MONTHS
(48 WEEKS…)
AMBULATION
Independent walking with wide BOS (evident abd & ext
rotation) with decreased movts of center of gravity laterally
Pelvic tilt changes as the child feels more secure & pelvic
control develops
More arm motion seen as control increases, shoulders may still
be fixed for more stability
Weight on the medial border of the foot
As BOS decreases, feet come to more neutral rotation with hips,
& there is more dissociation btw hip, kn and ankle
Increasing energy efficiency
TWELVE MONTHS
(48 WEEKS…)

Standing to walking
indepedently
 TWELVE MONTHS
(48 WEEKS…)

COMMUNICATION:
General meaningful language
Understands phrases from parents like: ‘Come and give me
a kiss’ & “Go and look for your shoes”
SOCIALLY:
Practice releasing objects with precision
Has more meaningful interaction with the environment
Developing a perculiar temperament