Which question would a nurse ask a parent to assess fine motor skill development in a seven-month-old infant?

To assess fine motor skill development in a seven-month-old infant, asking whether the baby can transfer a rattle from one hand to the other is particularly insightful. This behavior demonstrates several important developmental milestones. By seven months, infants typically begin to exhibit the ability to use both hands in a coordinated manner. The act of transferring objects from one hand to another indicates that the child is developing bilateral coordination and the ability to manipulate items, which are essential components of fine motor skill development.

During this stage, infants are refining their grasping abilities and starting to explore their environment more actively. While other options focus on aspects of fine motor skills, such as hand preference, ability to pick up small objects, or utilizing the pincer grasp—which becomes more evident as they approach 9 to 12 months—transferring a rattle effectively showcases their current developmental capabilities at seven months. This coordination requires a level of dexterity and control that aligns with the expected gross and fine motor milestones for that age.