Babies usually start crawling at the age of:

Appeared in: DSSSB 6 September 2024

Explanation

Crawling is a key gross motor milestone that typically appears between 8 to 10 months of age, making 9 months the correct answer.
This skill requires significant development in an infant's core strength, balance, and limb coordination.
Around the same time, infants also begin to pull themselves up to a standing position, preparing for the next milestone of walking.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option A: At 3 months, an infant's primary gross motor achievement is developing head control and lifting their head and chest when prone. They do not have the strength or coordination to crawl.
Option C: At 5 months, an infant is typically learning to roll over from their stomach to their back and may sit with support. Crawling is still a few months away.
Option D: By 16 months, a toddler has long surpassed the crawling stage. Most are walking well independently and may even be starting to run or climb.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Infant Gross Motor Development Milestones as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses use knowledge of developmental milestones to perform screenings (like the Denver Developmental Screening Test) to identify potential delays early.
Educating parents about normal developmental ranges helps them understand their child's progress and when to seek medical advice.
What if? If a 12-month-old is not yet crawling or pulling to stand, this would be considered a developmental red flag. The nurse should recommend a comprehensive developmental assessment, as most infants achieve this by 10 months.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question about pediatric nursing.
First, identify the key concept in the question, which is the developmental milestone of 'crawling'.
Next, recall the typical age range for this specific gross motor skill in infants.
Evaluate the given options to see which one falls within the expected timeframe (8-10 months).
Select the option that most accurately represents the average age for the onset of crawling.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Infant Gross Motor Development Milestones
Stem keywords: Babies, crawling, age
Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Qw44b9y2afzS8LC6sWN3fn

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 11323-11325

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 1 p. 174-176

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