Growth and Development of Infants

1. Growth and Development of Infants

2. Growth— changes in size, such as weight and length • Development—increases and changes in physical, emotional, social, or intellectual skills They are not the same thing !

3. Head to Foot • Babies first begin to develop control of head movement, then arms and hands, and finally legs and feet Patterns of Development

4. Head to Foot • Babies first begin to develop control of head movement, then arms and hands, and finally legs and feet • Near to Far • Babies’ development starts close to the trunk and moves outward Patterns of Development

5. Head to Foot • Babies first begin to develop control of head movement, then arms and hands, and finally legs and feet • Near to Far • Babies’ development starts close to the trunk and moves outward • Simple to Complex • Babies first develop their large muscle groups, followed by complex movements and small muscle control Patterns of Development

6. Developmental Milestones—Key skills or tasks that most children can do at a certain age range • Used to check a child’s progress • The age at which children may reach each milestone can vary quite a bit Developmental Milestones

7. Heredity • Genetics for physical abilities, likelihood of certain illnesses, and other physical characteristics, like good vision or early appearance of teeth Influences on Development

8. Heredity • Genetics for physical abilities, likelihood of certain illnesses, and other physical characteristics, like good vision or early appearance of teeth • Nutrition • Getting enough calories and essential nutrients to fuel proper development Influences on Development

9. Heredity • Genetics for physical abilities, likelihood of certain illnesses, and other physical characteristics, like good vision or early appearance of teeth • Nutrition • Getting enough calories and essential nutrients to fuel proper development • Health • A healthy baby is more likely to eat well and have varied experiences that stimulate development Influences on Development

10. Experiences • Quantity and variety of experiences impacts brain development Influences on Development

11. Experiences • Quantity and variety of experiences impacts brain development • Environment • A stimulating environment—one in which the baby has a wide variety of things to see, taste, smell, hear, and touch—enhances connections in the brain • Other environmental factors, like living conditions and family relationships affect development greatly Influences on Development

12. Physical Growth and Development

13. Shows average weight and height for babies at various ages • Boys and girls are recorded separately because their growth patterns differ • Very few babies match “average” measurements, because they grow at their own rate • Doctors watch for a steady pattern of growth rather than individual measurements Growth Chart

14. Weight • Most newborns lose about 10% of their birth weight in their first 5 days of life; then begin to gain weight rapidly Growth During the 1st Year

15. Weight • Most newborns lose about 10% of their birth weight in their first 5 days of life; then begin to gain weight rapidly • In the first 6 months, a healthy baby gains about 1-2 pounds per month Growth During the 1st Year

16. Weight • Most newborns lose about 10% of their birth weight in their first 5 days of life; then begin to gain weight rapidly • In the first 6 months, a healthy baby gains about 1-2 pounds per month • From 6-12 months, average weight gain is about 1 pound per month Growth During the 1st Year

17. Weight • Most newborns lose about 10% of their birth weight in their first 5 days of life; then begin to gain weight rapidly • In the first 6 months, a healthy baby gains about 1-2 pounds per month. • From 6-12 months, average weight gain is about 1 pound per month. • Birth weight usually triples by the end of the first year Growth During the 1st Year

18. Weight • Most newborns lose about 10% of their birth weight in their first 5 days of life; then begin to gain weight rapidly • In the first 6 months, a healthy baby gains about 1-2 pounds per month. • From 6-12 months, average weight gain is about 1 pound per month. • Birth weight usually triples by the end of the first year • Boys tend to weigh slightly more than girls during infancy Growth During the 1st Year

19. Length • Babies are measured while lying down, so it is called “length” rather than “height” Growth During the 1st Year

20. Length • Babies are measured while lying down, so it is called “length” rather than “height” • Babies will add approximately 25% to their birth length in the first four months and an additional 25% by their first birthday Growth During the 1st Year

21. Length • Babies are measured while lying down, so it is called “length” rather than “height” • Babies will add approximately 25% to their birth length in the first four months and an additional 25% by their first birthday • Boys tend to be slightly longer than girls during infancy Growth During the 1st Year

22. Vision • Newborns have blurry vision but within a week they can focus on objects about 7-10 inches away • Objects appear two-dimensional, like a picture • They prefer to look at patterns with high contrast, such as stripes, bull’s-eyes, or simple faces • Often have crossed eyes or a wandering eye Development During the 1st Year

23. Vision • At one month, babies can focus on an object as far as 3 feet away • Begin to develop Depth perception—the ability to see things as three-dimensional • This helps them interact with the world by being able to track and reach for objects Development During the 1st Year

24. Vision • By six months, eyesight reaches clarity and sharpness of the adult level Development During the 1st Year

25. Hearing • Hearing develops before birth, and unborn babies often respond to sounds • Newborns can tell the general direction a sound comes from • Newborns respond to tone of voice rather than words • By 7 months, babies recognize parents and other caregivers by their voices Development During the 1st Year

26. Touch • Newborns lack ability to explore their world through touch but can learn through others touching them • Babies first begin to notice different textures, such as a soft blanket or a scratchy, whiskery chin • After the baby is able to grab objects, touch plays a big part in learning and development Development During the 1st Year

27. Smell and Taste • Within 10 days, they can recognize their mother by smell • Two-week old babies can differentiate tastes and show a preference for sweet tastes • Throughout infancy, babies put anything they can in their mouths. This is a primary way of learning about their world. Development During the 1st Year

28. Voice • Newborn voice is shrill and without much tone • As lungs, throat muscles, tongue, lips, teeth and vocal cords develop, voice softens and becomes more tonal • Babies prepare for speech by imitating word-like sounds Development During the 1st Year

29. Motor Skills • At birth, babies have little muscle control. Most movements are reflexes—instinctive, automatic responses • Gross motor skills develop faster • Controlling the head is one of the first gross motor skills infants develop • Fine motor skills develop slower • Opening and closing hands to purposefully grasp an object is one of the first fine motor skills infants develop Development During the 1st Year

30. Hand-Eye Coordination • Hand-Eye Coordination—the ability to move the hands and fingers precisely in relation to what is seen • Newborns have very poor hand-eye coordination • By 3-4 months babies begin to grab for objects they see and bring them to their mouth • By 12 months babies have no problem picking up an object and moving it to another place Development During the 1st Year