Which grip is described as using the side of the thumb and first fingers?

• A. Inferior pincer grip
• B. Superior pincer grip
• C. Palmar grasp
• D. Fist grip

Answer: (A)

Fine motor development includes several grip patterns for handling small objects. Describing a grip that uses the side of the thumb pressed against the side of the index finger corresponds to the inferior pincer grip. In this grip, the object is pinched between the thumb’s inner edge and the side of the index finger, not with the fingertips. This is an earlier form of precision grip, before the more refined pincer grip that pinches with the fingertips (tip-to-tip). The other grips involve different hand parts: the palmar grasp uses the palm with fingers wrapped around the object, and the fist grip closes the hand into a fist around it. So the side-pinching pattern described is the inferior pincer grip.