THE NEWBORN Chapter 5

NEONATAL PERIOD First 2 weeks after birth Emotional attachment between newborn and caretaker are crucial Disruption of bonding can cause long- term emotional problems (illness, low birth weight, adoption, depression, etc)

Growth Cephalocaudal growth: from head outwards See chart page 87 Proximodistal growth: from center outward

OBSERVABLE BEHAVIORS Sleeping Crying Eating Reflexes (Looking) Each child has unique patterns due to biology, culture, socioeconomic class, etc.

SLEEP/WAKE CYCLES Neonates take short naps around the clock Variations in patterns are due to birth weight, interactions with caretakers, culture, genetics, age and experience of mother Calm babies appear to learn faster Babies require more REM sleep than adults

CRYING Crying is first communication of some need In general, babies who are held more, cry less (beginning at about 6 months) In general, caregiver responsiveness to the baby’s crying increases the child’s ability to communicate

FEEDING Breastfeeding V bottle feeding Use of formula in underdeveloped areas

REFLEXES Newborn movements are jerky, unplanned, not purposeful Reflexes: rooting, sucking, grabbing, Moro, “walking” Weak refelxes can be a sign of problems: genetic, nutritional,low birth weight, developmental

HABITUATION Exploration stops and baby’s attention moves elsewhere as s/he becomes habituated to a stimulus Key to Good Infant Care: keep consistency in the environment and schedule with small changes to keep infants engaged Different babies have different tolerances for change and stimulation

NEONATAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT SCALE Comprehensive test for newborns to study basic behaviors, reflexes, responses to stimuli, and soothability Helps detect neurological problems

PREMIE/LOW BIRTH WEIGHT Premature babies are born 3+ weeks before due date Low birth weight: below 5.5 lbs African-Americans are 13% more likely to have low birth weight babies, even adjusting for socioeconomic class See Chart page 101

SYNCHRONY Parents (and caretakers) learn to be guided in their actions by the behavior of their baby as well as by their own desires and needs “joining the dance of the newborn”