According to different research findings, the movement of the human limbs determines various stages of development in human growth. Movement is both bipedal and biphasic forward propulsion based on the centre of gravity of a person’s body. A child has differing gait patters compared to an adult according to various studies. An adult’s gait patterns are well developed and more concise. Toddlers on the other hand have little or no control on limbs movement at early stages of life.
The stride length is also a major point of difference between children and adults. Human gait study shows that the limbs gain energy and the ability to move depending on a person’s age. While there are abnormalities that face a person depending on both neurological and psychological factors, the most common variable in gait is the foot strike. It focuses on how a person’s foot contacts the ground when the body is in motion. This is characterized by the forefoot strike as the ball leads in striking the surface first, followed by the mid-foot strike and the heel strike.
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When sprinting, a person’s gait is based on the forefoot strike when the heel does not touch the ground. The gait period varies from one child to another. From six to eight months, an individual can sit with support. The initial swing for a child starts at two years of age. By the time the child is nine months old, he or has an arm swing starts becoming stable. A child that is ten months old can be able to pull objects as well as stand on his or her hands or even crawl. An adult, however, has a pre-swing that is strong. He or she is able to use various objects without the assist of older persons. Arm swing in this respect works in a great way to enhance the stability of an individual in the sprint. The area covered by the arm swing is equivalent to the length of the arm and in this way limited in toddles and bigger in adults. This means that during the sprint, the adult is at a more stable condition compared to a toddler.
When reaching about twelve months, a child can walk with assistance with the help of his or her hands. This marks the initial contact in human gait as the child tends to make use of the arms and knees in movement. By a year and a half, he or she can walk unaided and even run after eighteen months. A normal child starts to walk from 12 to 18 months; a mature gait pattern is established after three years. However, by the time the individual reaches two years of age, he or she is able to swing their arms in order to balance the body’s weight. The stance is categorized according to the part of the foot in contact with the ground. A child starts by using the toes and grows to utilize the other parts of the leg.
The gait pattern categorized as the normal adult walking style involves the heel strike, toe-off and the terminal stance, in a person’s phase of growth, the heel can become stronger depending on how much he or she engages in physical activities. The stance phase is responsible for sixty percent while the swing phase accounts for about forty percent. Research has found out that there is a variation in the ways the normal gait patterns develop.
The gait pattern of a child may be affected by his or her sensory abilities. A child that cannot see only visualizes the ways through which people walk. He or she becomes unable to walk at an early period since it becomes difficult to learn from others. Perception is also a major factor in the gait pattern for both adults and children. A delay in an individual’s ability to make the initial swing or a pre swing can be caused by both neuromuscular and metabolic patterns. The neuromuscular problems include cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and hypotonia among others while the metabolic challenges can involve the absence of Vitamin D and Mucopolysaccharidoses. A child’s movement, speech, feeding and communication can be affected. The sound that the child hears at an early age can also lead to clumsiness or challenges when growing. Parents should consult pediatricians when addressing issues involving a child’s gait. They can respond by having nutritional supplements to assist the children in growth and development.
