Show I Le Learning to Stand Is Roundabout Job Says Dr Thompson At 4 Weeks Baby Does Better Than at 44 By Ely MARJORIE VAN 0 DE WATER Science Service Staff Writer In Psychology ANN ARBOR MICH A weeks old baby lying in his char characteristic position all curled up Uj with his legs under his tummy is in a more favorable favorable favorable favor favor- able position for getting up in into into into in- in to an upright posture than he will be lI again aln until he Is fort four forty our weeks old Durin During the Intervening weeks he lie goes oes through h a re regular ular putt pattern ern or progression of t poses which carry carry him In a roundabout way through h th the squirming and crawling stages toward towal the perpendicular pose which distinguishes man from the lower ma mammals Is nut flat after he lie Is four weeks old ItIs It ItIs Itis Is not n again alJ until he Is nearly eleven en months old that he n again oln draws s his le legs s up tip under him Into the best hest position for getting up lip- ri right ht This rIds curious Indirection In development was pointed out to psychologists at nt the meeting of the American Psychological association here h by Dr Or Helen lichen Thompson of Yale university Is Nature Nature appears to have e followed a most inefficient plan she site com corn Or Is It that she has hns remodeled remodeled re re- modeled a II primitive e structure It would woul be of or Interest to make e a n comparable com corn parable study of primitive development develop develop- m ment nt to see If In the less highly organized organized or or- animal the development dC process Is a more direct one otie Doctor Thompson working with Dr Arnold Gesell has made a u detailed detailed detaIled de de- de- de tailed Shill study h by observation anti and motion motion mo mo- tion pictures of the growth and und development cle t of nornia normal I healthy I thy babies of t typical middle class film fam A sort of time table of nf the poses Joses achieved ed by SO fiO per cent or more of babies buhles at various lI age e levels lev els cis has hns been heen worl worked out h by factor Doctor Thompson and was shown here How Baby Learns At four weeks reeks the average u baby can lift his head momentarily but butt t typically rests with sith back arched and knees and elbows drawn up un under under un- un der him By ny eight weeks he can hold the head up tip for a n period At sixteen weeks he lie can raise his upper upper up up- per pcr chest By twenty eight ty t weeks he can raise himself up enough h from the prone position to lift one arm From that time on the arms arias are gradually brou brought ht hack haele under the body until the chest and und later the whole trunk can be he raised tip up Still the le legs s are not worl working in rl right ht for crawling so at this stage the time baby haby frequently pushes himself backward In his efforts at crawling When four forty ort four weeks old he can raise himself enough to push himself him hini- self Into n a sitting position from rota beIng being belag be be- ing lag flat fiat face down By fort forty eight weeks he can cnn really creep And AntI when he Is fifty six to sixty ell weeks s sol ol old he Is able to push himself up tip Into a 21 standing position without al aid |