1. Growth and Development of Infants

2. 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 !

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. Physical Growth and Development

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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