Maturation

Maturation is the concept that we develop through biologically set stages. This is a process of physical growth. It starts at conception so that all normal foetuses will go through the same development stages at roughly the same time. For instance, a baby's sex is determined in the womb at roughly 3 months into the gestation period.

If the foetus has inherited the x chromosome from the father as well as from the mother, nothing much happens at this stage. If however, the foetus inherits a y chromosome from the father and a x from the mother, this triggers an influx of the hormone group called ANDROGENS into the foetus's system and MALE organs start to develop. If this does not happen, female sex organs will develop by default at a slightly later period during gestation. This is an example of the maturation process during gestation.

Maturation continues once the baby is born and is genetically determined. Babies will hold up their heads, sit up and start to crawl at roughly the same age. They will also go through these maturational processes in the same ORDER (that is holding up the head will come before sitting, which comes before crawling and so on). Children cannot be made to perform the behaviours before they are MATURATIONALLY READY, but once they have matured enough to reach the stage, they can develop. A good example of this is trying to 'potty train' a young baby - it won't succeed simply because the mechanisms that recognise a full bladder or bowel does not mature until about 18 months to 2 years of age.

Human infants are notoriously slow to develop and mature, having the longest childhood period of dependence of any animal. Most animals are able to defend themselves within weeks, if not hours after birth, yet human beings are not independent until about 15 years!

It is thought that any kind of behaviour that is not learnt, but is biologically determined (through maturation) tends to happen in STAGES, rather than in a smooth, continuous development and for this to be so, certain rules have to apply:

Each stage shows a unique new skill that was not there in the previous stage

That this behaviour or skill is different to what has been evident at the earlier stage

All children must go through the stage at roughly the same age and always in the same order

During the first twelve months, children develop more rapidly than at any other stage

By the time they are one year old, they are able to:

• Crawl and possibly walk
• Pick things up and offer them to people
• Say a few words and understand more
• Drink from a cup, put things in mouths and join in normal family meals
• Show pleasure in the company of other people, cooing and gurgling
• Explore places and things and get into mischief
• Develop own personality and basic temperament
• Sit and listen when pictures and objects are pointed out
• Understand, and be upset, when people are cross with them

last update April 5, 2003

© L. Cryer/Northern College 2000