A Guide to Infant Physical Therapy

Elizabeth Bakken, PT, DPT

Participation in physical therapy services can begin as early as birth. Physical therapists can assist infants in learning positioning, mobility, and other gross motor skills for improved function. These early services may occur due to prematurity, injury, or medical conditions that may correlate with gross motor delays. Physical therapy services also may occur due to deficits in musculoskeletal, neurologic, cardiopulmonary, or integumentary systems. Age-appropriate gross motor milestones are listed below for the skills children should be meeting in the first year of life. Delays in these gross motor milestones, puts children behind peers, limits functional mobility and independence with navigating their environment.

Gross motor milestones:

Newborn to 2 months old:

• Head control-lift head on stomach and turn to both sides on stomach and on back

• Baby tolerates tummy time

• Equal bilateral movement of legs and arms

3-4 months old:

• Rolls from stomach to back

• Starts belly crawling

• Brings hands and feet to mouth

5-6 months old:

• Start pivoting and reaching for objects while on their stomach

• Push up on their hands while on their stomach

• Sitting with arms propped

7-9 months old:

• Push up to hands and knees position

• Sit independently

• Begin crawling on hands and knees

• Cruising on furniture

10-12 months old:

• Pulls to stand at surface

• Stand alone

• Walking (10-15 months)

• Crawling up/down stairs

During a physical therapy initial evaluation, the infant will be assessed to determine delays in gross motor milestones along with any deficits that may be seen in strength, mobility, coordination, balance, or other body systems limiting these skills. Physical therapy interventions at Ability Innovations are performed through play. Play is a child’s primary form of learning and assists with increased motivation for participation in therapeutic interventions. For infants toys can be utilized in stationary activities for maintaining various positions, encouraging visual attention with head positioning, and challenging balance with encouraging reaching outside their base of support. With more dynamic activities, such as crawling or walking, toys can be utilized to encourage movement from place to place. Each child’s interests are different but below are various toys I frequently use with young children during PT interventions for stationary and dynamic activities. If you have any questions, please reach out.