Growth and Development of Infants

1. Growth and Development of Infants

2. Baby Polar Bear Adult Polar Bear Baby Pictures

3. Piglet Adult Pig Baby Pictures

4. Patterns of Physical Development • Head to toe • Lift head to see object • Muscle control: pick up • Walk towards • Near to far: trunk outward • Wave arms • Grab with palm of hand • Pick up with thumb and fingers • Simple to complex • Eating with fingers • Spoon and fork

5. Weight • Lose some after birth • 1-2 lbs/month 1st 6 months • 1 pound in 2nd 6 months • Birth weight: • Doubled by 6 month • Tripled by 1 yr • 20-22 lbs: avg wt of 1 yr old • Heredity, feeding habits, and physical activity

6. Height • Avg newborn =20 inches • Avg 1 year =30 inches • Heredity: influences height more than weight

7. Proportion • Large: head and abdomen • Short/small: arms and legs • Head grows rapidly b/c brain development • Soft spots allow head to grow and close

8. Soft Spots

9. 1st Year Physical Developments

10. Sight • Focus on objects 7-10 inches away • 1 month: focus up to 3 feet away • 3 ½ months: normal • Prefer patterns, high contrast, faces • Prefer color red

11. Depth Perception • 2nd month: recognize that object is three-dimensional, not flat

12. Hand-Eye Coordination • Develop hand-eye coordination: • Move hands and fingers in relation to what is seen • 3-4 months: reach for what they see • Essential for: • Eating • Catching a ball • Coloring • Tying shoes

13. Activity • Make a list of toys and activities that help develop hand-eye coordination for infants. • Provide illustrations for each toy or activity. • 3-5 colored illustrations

14. The Developing Brain

15. Structure of the Brain • The brain receives and interprets messages from the body, so it is key for intellectual development • The brain is divided into different sections that control specific functions of the body

16. Parts of the Brain • Cerebrum- receives information from senses, directs motor activities • Speech, memory, and problem solving • Occur in outer layer called cortex • Thalamus- connect spinal cord and cerebrum • Expressions and emotions • Cerebellum- controls muscular coordination and balance

17. Parts of the Brain continued • Spinal Cord- transmits info from the body to the brain; vice versa • Brain Stem- controls involuntary activities such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure • Pituitary Gland- secretes hormones that regulate growth, metabolism, and sexual development

18. How the Brain Works • Neurons sprout arms called dendrites and axons • Reach toward other neurons, but never touch • Tiny gaps called synapses; this is where messages are sent from one neuron to another • Neurotransmitters are released by axons to attach to other dendrites • The more times the same axon and dendrite connect, the stronger the connection grows and messages are sent more quickly

19. How the Brain Becomes Organized • The more arms neurons grow and the more links that develop between different neurons, the more paths the brain has • More paths equal more power and flexibility • Organization of brain grow’s on child’s experiences • The group of neurons becomes linked together and controls a particular task

20. How the Brain Becomes Organized continued • Connections of neurons can be broken • Connections can be lost and others added at the same time • Developments have an impact on the appearance of the brain

21. Speeding the Brain’s Work • Myelin makes it easier for axons to transmit signals, it speeds their work • All axons are not coated when a baby is born, only those that control basic instincts • Axons become coated as a child grows • Axons that control motor abilities, vision, and hearing receive coating first

22. Rules to Build a Brain By • Keep it simple and natural • Rich environment- lots of loving interaction and talking • Match experiences to the child’s mental capacities • Learn by physical experiences • Practice makes perfect • Repetition

23. Rules to Build a Brain By continued • Make sure the child is actively involved • Learn by doing • Provide variety, but avoid overloading • Give range of experiences, avoid being overwhelmed • Avoid pushing the child • Learn better if emotionally involved

24. Is the Brain Only Organized Once? • 1st year of life is not the only time that the brain can become organized • Children who have suffered brain damage can learn to speak • Older people who have a stroke- where neurons die in one part of the brain- can relearn skills by using another part of the brain

25. Brainstorming Activity • Name some activities that promote the growth of connections in the brain of infants. • Next, draw a picture of the brain using page 261. Label each part of the brain and their function.

26. Handling and Feeding Infants

27. Gentle Handling of an Infant • Never shake a baby • Shaken baby syndrome- when someone severely shakes the baby usually to make them stop crying • Damages the brain • Learning problems • Mental retardation • Blindness • Deafness • death

28. Gentle Handling of an Infant continued • Safe ways to handle a stressful situation with crying: • Put baby down in a safe place and calm down • Ask a friend or relative to care for the baby • Take deep breaths • Talk out your problems

29. How to Handle a Newborn Safely • Refer to diagram on page 269 of “The Developing Child”

30. Feeding Methods

31. Feeding a Baby • First few weeks, 6-8 times a day • Breastfed babies tend to eat more often • 2nd or 3rd month, once every 3-4 hours • When a baby reaches 12 pounds, he will sleep through the night because the stomach can hold more food

32. Feeding Methods • Breast milk or formula during the 1st year • No cow’s milk until 1 year

33. How to Feed with a Bottle • Hold baby is semi-upright position • Support neck and head with the head held above the stomach • Hold the bottle at an angle • Prevents swallowing air • Never prop a bottle • Choking hazard, tooth decay, digestive problems

34. Bottle Warming • Formula does not have to be served warm • Never heat a bottle in the microwave • Can cause hot spots • Heat bottle in a pan of water on the stove • Run under hot water • Use a bottle warmer • Check the temperature by shaking a few drops on your wrist

35. Sanitation • Throw left over formula in the bottle away • Wash and sterilize all bottles and bottle parts after each use • Boiling water • Dishwasher • Both eliminate bacteria contamination

36. Burping a Baby • Burping helps expel air the baby swallowed • You should burp a baby once during feeding and once after

37. Types of Formula • Powder, concentrate, ready to feed (RTF)

38. Powder • Mix with water • 1 scoop per 2 oz water • Make on needed basis

39. Concentrate • Dilute with water • 1 can formula with 1 can water • Use within 24 hours

40. RTF • No mixing required • More expensive • Use within 24 hours

41. How much formula? • 55 calories/pound each day • Standard formula: 20 calories per ounce • Example: How many ounces does a 12 pound baby need each day?

42. Breastfeeding Basicshttp://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Breastfeeding.htm

43. Why Breastfeed? • Healthy • Free • Bonding • Natural • Builds immune system • Mom burns more calories and loses weight quicker

44. How long should you breastfeed? • Recommend 1st 6 months • First milk- colostrum • High in fat, protein, antibodies • 20 minutes on each breast • Feed on demand • 5-6 wet diapers • 3-4 dirty diapers • http://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Breast-Feeding-Positions.htm

45. Nutrition • Avoid gassy foods: • Broccoli, green leafy vegetables, spicy foods • Avoid alcohol • “pump and dump” • Mom’s diet becomes baby’s diet

46. Video Clips and Pictures • http://www.ameda.com/breastpumping/videos/popup_video.aspx?id=LatchOnEnglish • http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_video_4_bf_positions.html • http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_videos/18_how_baby_sounds_bfing.html • http://similac.com/feeding-nutrition/diaper-decoder

47. Breastfeeding vs Breast Pumphttp://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Breast-Feeding-Positions.htm • Pumping is an alternative to breast feeding • Use manual or electric pump • Hand express • Some babies cannot latch on • Mother feels uncomfortable

48. Storage • Room temp 6-10 hrs • Refrigerator 5-7 days • Freezer 3-6 months • http://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Storing-Breast-Milk.htm

49. Sanitation • Clean breasts with warm water and dry towel after feeding • Soap will remove natural oils • Cause drying or cracking • Can use a breast cream

50. How to stop breastfeeding • Slowly wean the baby • Milk will eventually dry up • Could experience engorgement • Hand express to relieve discomfort