Infancy: Newborn to Age 1 5 Infancy: Newborn to Age 1

Objectives Describe a newborn and his or her food, sleep, and other basic needs. Analyze the physical development of babies in the first 12 months of life. Analyze the cognitive development of babies in the first 12 months of life. continued

Objectives Analyze the socio-emotional development of babies in the first 12 months of life. Compare and contrast various developmental theories relating to infants. Identify developmental milestones infants achieve during the first 12 months of life.

Neonates Infancy is the period from birth to the first birthday Just after birth, babies are called neonates This term refers to the time period from birth to age 1 month During a normal uncomplicated birth, a mother is usually able to hold her baby soon after birth continued

Neonates After birth, babies are tested to make sure they are healthy The Apgar scale is administered at one and then five minutes after birth The Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale is given shortly after birth continued

Neonates Babies are born with reflexes, such as the rooting reflex Some senses are fully developed at birth, while others take a bit longer Newborns can hear months before birth They can sense, touch, and smell Only their vision takes longer to develop continued

Neonates Although most babies leave the hospital a day or two after birth, some are not healthy enough to leave the hospital Issues such as low birthweight, prematurity, and other birth or congenital complications may require special care continued

Neonates Whether becoming a parent by birth or adoption, bonding is important A new family member certainly requires the adjustment of all family members In the postpartum period, mothers need time for both physical and psychological adjustment continued

Neonates Somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of women experience postpartum depression, an intense sadness and oftentimes emotional withdrawal from others Postpartum psychosis is a rare, but very serious mental condition for a very small number of new mothers continued

Neonates New fathers often report feelings of being overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility Over one-third of neonates in America live in a single-parent home Family adjustments may be much harder for single-parent families without adequate support continued

Neonates Other children in the household have an adjustment to make to a new family member Babies take time to care for and nurture Siblings can feel left out or cheated in what should be “their time” Extended family members must also adjust to the new family member

Infants In the first 12 months of life, babies undergo tremendous changes They are utterly dependent on caregivers The physical qualities and changes that occur are sequential and predictable One principle of physical growth and change is the proximodistal development pattern continued

Infants In the first 4 months, birthweight often doubles Growth in height is about 1 inch per month The increase in body weight often makes an infant appear chubby, soft, and cuddly A baby’s head is disproportionately large Cephalocaudal development occurs from the top of the head down to the extremities continued

Infants Many babies do not begin getting teeth until at least 6 months of age Once this occurs, teeth eruption continues at a rapid pace Newborns can hear, taste, and feel like adults They can see from birth, too, just not at an adult level continued

Infants The growth and development of the brain and nervous system continues throughout infancy Newborns’ brains are perfect for learning about the world around them A baby should never be shaken, as the jostling of the brain can cause tragic injuries, as in Shaken Baby Syndrome continued

Infants Babies who engage in physical activity, are spoken to, and encouraged to verbalize for themselves (cooing, babbling) are more apt to develop strong brain pathways Babies who are neglected fail to thrive both physically and cognitively continued

Infants During the first 12 months, infants develop their gross- and fine-motor skills rapidly By 6 months, babies can balance their heads while in an upright position Before long, babies are crawling, creeping, and pulling themselves to a standing position and “walking” as they lean against a support continued

Infants Fine-motor skills development moves in sequential order Babies use the Palmar grasp to scrape up an object with their fingers into the palm of their hands Babies next use the pincer grasp continued

Infants Babies need well-balanced nutrition Their needs are quite different from the nutritional needs of children or adults Because newborns are learning to swallow, their nutrition must come in liquid form Breast-feeding or selection of a nutritious formula can meet the infant’s needs continued

Infants Between 6 and 12 months, caregivers often start feeding infants solids Food intolerances are reactions to foods that are unpleasant continued ©wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com

Infants Newborn babies sleep most of the day/night Babies’ sleep needs change over the first few months of life Throughout infancy, babies continue to need both a morning and afternoon nap Sleep is critically important to an infant’s growth and development continued

Infants Piaget called the first stage of cognitive development the sensorimotor stage This stage continues throughout infancy until about age 2 During the first few months of life, infants begin to understand object permanence continued

Infants Skinner theorized that one way infants learn is through operant conditioning Using operant conditioning, a baby responds to a stimulus Depending on the result, the baby will learn to repeat or stop the response continued

Infants Vygotsky believed that children develop their minds through interactions with caregivers, siblings, and others in close relationships Babies begin to demonstrate familiarity or memory of certain objects or people Their memories, however, are not long lasting continued

Infants As infants interact with others, they begin to associate symbols with their thoughts These symbols are found in language, which is learned from interaction with others Babies understand language much before they can form words This is termed receptive language continued

Infants Physical and cognitive development are highly related to socio-emotional growth In the trust versus mistrust stage, infants must learn to develop trust relationships with their caregivers Trust can be learned at a later stage, but is optimally learned during infancy continued

Infants During infancy, the child bonds with the caregiver, which is called attachment Stranger anxiety is considered an important developmental milestone Infants typically experience separation anxiety when their caregiver leaves them continued

Infants Unoccupied play happens when a baby observes and focuses on an object or activity Solitary play happens when an infant plays alone Both types of play are milestones in socio-emotional development continued

Infants During infancy, emotions are imitated as babies learn how to express their emotions through observing others’ reactions to events Even at an early age, babies can show some control over their emotions Temperament, unique individual differences in the way people interact with the world, is persistent throughout life

Special Needs Some babies are born with genetic disorders that require special care Others have special needs that develop or are recognized during infancy When development significantly lags behind the norms, caregivers should consult a doctor Interventions, including medical care, special therapy, and resources, can be helpful