1. what is balance balance is the ability of the human body to automatically adjust posture and maintain the required posture regardless of position, movement or driven by external forces. 2. what is balance function training The human body needs good posture control to carry out normal activities, that is, the ability to maintain body balance, to make activities to achieve smooth, accurate and coordinated, it is necessary to have good coordination function. Balance and coordination functions influence each other and are very closely related. Shao He, Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine 3. When does a normal child begin to have a balance response when the body’s center of gravity changes, this response can be induced in an attempt to restore the center of gravity within the original point of support. The normal time for a child to begin to develop a balance response is: prone position: 6 months; supine position: 7-8 months; sitting position: 7-8 months; squatting position: 9-12 months; standing position: 12-21 months. When does the protective stretch response begin to appear in normal children. When the body is deflected from its original support point by an external force, the upper and/or lower extremities are extended or abducted to support the body to prevent a fall. The time of protective stretch response in normal children is: upper limbs: 4-6 months; lower limbs: 6-9 months. 4. How to train balance function Balance disorders are mainly due to lack of visual information input, vestibular dysfunction, lack of proprioception, limb loss, paralysis (such as paraplegia), cerebellar dysfunction, etc. Before balance training, the child should first be asked to learn to relax and reduce tension or fear; if there are muscle spasms, they should be relieved first. Next, decide whether a mirror is needed and what position is best to start the training. The basic principle is to start training from the most stable position and gradually progress to the most unstable position, from static balance to dynamic balance, in order to gradually increase the difficulty of balance. The main points of the method are to gradually reduce the body support area and improve the body’s center of gravity; gradually increase the head and neck, trunk and limb movements under the premise of maintaining stability; gradually transition from open-eye activities to closed-eye activities. The training should be conducted on a stable support point, requiring the selection of a functional position (such as sitting on the edge of the bed), ensuring the safety of the child, and giving support or the child’s own use of upper limb support if necessary. During the training process, the child should be encouraged to move his head, help transfer weight in a small range (e.g., weight transfer from the left hip to the right hip), transfer weight from one upper limb to the other, rotate the trunk, gradually reduce the support, and move the unilateral upper limb first, then the bilateral upper limbs. Gradually increase the range, speed and difficulty of trunk movements. The above training allows the child to adopt different positions that are comfortable, such as standing and kneeling. When the child can maintain the stability of the support point, a certain amount of external force can be applied. Under the premise of ensuring the child’s safety, the scapula can be gently tapped from different directions, or the child can be placed in an unbalanced position and then allowed to correct himself/herself. Train balance on active support points, such as balance board, throwing and catching ball, etc. Train forward activities in a safe environment, such as running “8” from left to right, jumping up a ladder, etc.