Growth and Development of Infants

They are not the same thing ! 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 !

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

Patterns of Development 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

Patterns of Development 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

Developmental Milestones 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

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

Influences on Development 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

Influences on Development 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

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

Influences on Development 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

Physical Growth and Development

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

Growth During the 1st Year 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

Growth During the 1st Year 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

Growth During the 1st Year 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

Growth During the 1st Year 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

Growth During the 1st Year 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

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

Growth During the 1st Year 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

Growth During the 1st Year 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

Development During the 1st Year 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

Development During the 1st Year 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

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

Development During the 1st Year 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

Development During the 1st Year 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

Development During the 1st Year 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

Development During the 1st Year 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

Development During the 1st Year 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

Development During the 1st Year 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