Growth and Development of Infants November 3, 2011

Growth and development Do these mean the same thing? Growth = changes in size Development = increase in physical, emotional, social or intellectual skills Both occur rapidly during the first year

Physical development Follows a sequence 3 basic patterns Head to Foot Head take lead before birth and continues Lift heads first, then can reach for objects, then walk Near to Far Starts at trunk and moves outward Wave arms, then grab, then pick up Simple to Complex Hold bottle, eat with fingers, use fork

Growth - Weight One of the best signs of good health Most lose a little after birth and then gain it back rapidly Gain 1-2 pounds for the first six months Second six months, 1 pound/month Triples by the end of the first year May differ depending on heredity, feeding habits, level of physical activity

Height Steady for the first year Average newborn is 20 inches By 12 months, average is 30 inches More strongly influenced by heredity than weight

Growth charts Show average weight, height, and abilities of children at certain ages General idea, but all have individual rates

Development Sight Improves rapidly Blurry at birth 1 week – can see objects 7 to 10 inches away 1 month – can see objects 3 feet away 3 ½ months – almost as good as an adults Prefer patterns with high contrast and color red

Sight continued… Depth perception Hand-eye coordination Develops in 2nd month Able to recognize when an object isn’t flat By 3rd month, prefer real objects over pictures Hand-eye coordination Improves with vision improvement Gain increasing ability to move their hands and fingers precisely where they want 3-4 months: begin to reach for object

Hearing Develops before birth Respond to sounds while still in uterus At birth, can tell the general direction sound comes from Newborns respond to the tone of voice rather than words

Smell and Taste Smell Doesn’t develop before birth Surrounded by amniotic fluid Newborns respond to different smells Within 10 days can distinguish smell of their mother Taste Develops rapidly At 2 weeks, can taste the difference between water, sour liquids, sugar solutions, salt solutions and milk

Voice Understand many words before they are able to speak Physically ready for speech by end of 1st year Learn to speak at different rates Most don’t speak until after 1st birthday

Teeth Begins at the 6th week of pregnancy 1st set of primary teeth “baby teeth” don’t being to appear until 6 or 7 months Complete set by approximately 20 months Teething can be painful Give teething biscuits Ice cube or something cold

Motor Skills Abilities that depend on the use and control of muscles Much of their development is in this area Requires intellectual, social, and emotional development, as well as physical Each area’s development affects other areas One of the 1st – able to lift and control head