Infant Growth and Development Standard(s): 1.2 Workplace Skill(s): 1. Complex Communication

Patterns of Physical Development Head to Foot Control over head movements first then moves to arms and hands and eventually to legs and feet Near to Far Development close to the body, first waving arms, then more precise hand and finger control to grasp items Simple to Complex Develops large muscle group firsts for movement then smaller groups for complex control (ex. coloring)

Influences on Growth & Development Developmental milestones: key skills used to check a child’s progress Heredity Nutrition: essential for growth & health Health: stimulate brain & muscle development Experiences Environment: stimulating environment, variety of things to see, taste, smell, hear & touch

Growth During the First Year Growth Charts show the average weight and height of girls and boys at various ages Weight: is the best sign of good health. Newborns lose 10% of their birth weight in the first five days After that begin gaining 1-2 pounds each month

Growth During the First Year Con’t Length: bone growth is rapid, but heredity strongly influences height Body Shapes: first born keep tightly curled position, but gradually stretch out over the first six months Proportion: refers to the size relationship between different parts of the body Compared to the rest of the body, a baby’s head and abdomen are large, and the legs and arms are short and small

Motor Skills Motor skills, or muscle movement, is limited for infants Most movements are due to reflexes – instinctive, automatic responses, such as grasping or sucking Two categories of motor skills Gross (Large) Motor skills: involve large muscles of body, such as shoulders and legs Fine (Small) Motor Skills: involve small muscles of body such as fingers

Development During the First Year Vision Hearing Touch Smell & Taste Voice Motor skills Reflexes: sucking reflex, rooting reflex, other automatic reflexes Hand-Eye Coordination

Further Learning Activity For each “development” bullet on the previous slide, explain how each category grows and changes. Using chapter 7-1, pages 201-207, be specific and give examples.