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Have you ever wondered at what age your baby or toddler should indicate a hand dominance/preference? As parents we can at times feel like our child’s development is somewhat of a competition against others and we celebrate early successes and achievements for our children in relation to developmental milestones. However, there are some milestones which should not be noticeable prematurely in your baby or toddler, hand preference/dominance being one of them.

What is hand preference/Dominance?

So what is hand preference or dominance? The terms are used interchangeably but mean the same thing. Hand preference/dominance refers to the consistent favouring of one hand over the other for the skilled part of an activity. An example in school aged children is when writing or drawing the preferred hand holds, uses and manipulates the pencil whilst the other hand supports the paper.

Developmental stages of hand use

0-3 months – arm movements are random and not controlled, hands usually fisted, will swing at objects with whole arms

3-6 months – will reach for toys using both hands together, bring hand into midline (together), pass objects from hand to hand

6-9 months – will grasp objects in both hands, will hold an object in one hand and search for another with the other hand, greater isolation of fingers to form a rake grasp and pointing action with both hands, play with their own hands, hold a bottle with both hands

9 – 12 months – transfers items hand to hand whilst crossing midline, can hold two small objects in one hand, still consistent use of both hands in play, bangs objects together, pulls items apart

12-18 months – BEGIN TO SHOW A HAND PREFERENCE, claps hands together, puts items together i.e. duplo, scribbles on paper

Mary Sheridan’s From Birth to Five Years Children’s Developmental Progress (5th edition)

When should my child demonstrate a hand preference

A child should not show a strong hand preference/dominance until they are 18 months to 2 years of age.

My child has a strong hand preference what does that mean?

This could be for a variety of reasons but one of the main reasons is a weakness in the less dominant hand which is often an early indicator for Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy.

To learn more about Hemiplegia and its treatment click here – ‘link to helping hemi hands’ 

Who to contact if you have concerns

If your child is demonstrating a hand preference before the age of 18 months it would be advised to seek a medical review of them to determine why.

https://helpinghemihands.podia.com/helping-hemi-hands