Postural and Sitting Development
Birth to 1 month
Tummy
- fisted hands with thumbs in
Back
- flexion of legs and elbows (bent)
Sitting
- fully rounded
2 months
Tummy
- symmetrical shoulders
- arms move randomly
- sucks hand when near mouth
- starting to lift head
Back
- ATNR reflex
- asymmetry of extremities
3 months
Tummy
- beginning to get onto their elbows
Back
- hands together at chest
Sitting
- chin propped
- head lag with pulling to sit
4 months
Tummy
- forearm weight bearing
Back
- hands to knees and toes
Sitting
- can maintain head up without prop when you pull arms away from face
- head in neutral or midline for pull to sit
5 months
Tummy
- extended arms with weight shift
- pushing up from floor
Back
- feet to mouth
Sitting
- props on extended arms
6 months
Tummy
- protective reactions falling forward (parachute reflex)
- plays in side lying or sitting
Back
- hands to feet with head up
- leads with head with pull to sit
- rolls supine to prone (back to tummy)
Sitting
- sits with erect spine
7 months
Tummy
- upper body rotation
Back
- push into bear or quadruped position
Sitting
- trunk rotation during sitting
8 months
Tummy
- hand arches begin to develop through weight shifting
- develop protective reactions for falling sideways (sideways parachute reflex)
Sitting
- equilibrium reactions
- can catch self and keep upright
12 months
9 months
- side sits
11-12 months
- props self backwards in sitting position
- backwards parachute reflex
11-12 months
- variety of sitting postures
