What you may notice
If your toddler can't brush her teeth without dropping her toothbrush several times, you may worry that she's not developing properly. But keep in mind that grasping and using an implement such as a crayon, toothbrush, or spoon involves a variety of muscle groups and physical and mental skills, including strength, dexterity, vision, and motor planning (the ability of the brain to organize and carry out movements).
Your toddler will probably get a better grip, so to speak, by the time she's about 18 months old. After that, if she's having trouble grasping that toothbrush or eating utensil or she can't grasp and stack three or four blocks, there is cause for concern.
What causes it
Children may be late in acquiring certain motor skills for many reasons, but often it's that they haven't had enough practice.
Take, for example, the skill called the mature pincer grasp. At about 10 months, a child can normally pick up something like a small O-shaped piece of cereal, using her index finger and thumb as a pincer, and bring it to her mouth.
An inability to execute this task could mean that a child hasn't had the opportunity or encouragement to develop this skill because someone's always been there to feed her. Or it could signal a developmental delay correctable by therapy.
Another possible explanation, however, is that your child needs glasses: "You can't pick up what you can't see," says Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Schneider Children's Hospital in New York. So be sure to have your toddler's eyesight checked.
Fine motor skill delays may also be associated with intellectual disability or with a neurological problem, but it's unlikely that trouble with grasping would be the only signal you'd see resulting from one of these more serious problems.
What your child's doctor may recommend
Occupational therapy focusing on fine motor skills may help children who are slow in this area, Adesman says. "There's a whole field of pediatric occupational therapy that's geared toward helping children develop these skills."
Of course, you should also do all you can at home to encourage your child's motor development. And vision problems are frequently correctable with glasses.
Next warning sign: Your Child Drools and Has Difficulty Eating