A pediatric resident is reviewing the developmental history of a healthy 4-year-old boy during a well-child visit. The parents have kept a detailed baby journal recording the exact ages at which their son acquired various skills. To assess the resident's knowledge of normal growth and development, the attending physician asks the resident to sequence the child's past milestones. Arrange the following developmental milestones in the correct chronological order in which they typically emerge in a normally developing child, from earliest to latest.
- 1Pulls to a standing position using furniture
- 2Uses a mature, two-finger pincer grasp
- 3Throws a ball overhand
- 4Speaks in two-word phrases
- 5Rides a tricycle
Answer
The correct chronological order from earliest to latest is: Pulls to a standing position using furniture (9 months) -> Uses a mature, two-finger pincer grasp (12 months) -> Throws a ball overhand (18 months) -> Speaks in two-word phrases (24 months) -> Rides a tricycle (36 months).
Normal infant and toddler development follows a predictable chronological sequence. Pulling to a stand (9 months) is an early gross motor skill that precedes the refinement of the mature, two-finger pincer grasp (12 months). Throwing a ball overhand emerges later in toddlerhood (18 months) as balance improves. This is followed by the explosion of language into two-word phrases (24 months). Finally, riding a tricycle is a complex gross motor skill that requires bilateral coordination and typically emerges at 3 years (36 months) of age.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Normal developmental milestones typically follow a predictable chronological sequence across gross motor, fine motor, and language domains.
Estimated Time:1m 0s