1. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS
Ch. 7

2. Growth vs. Development Growth- changes in size such as weight & length
Development- increases and changes in physical, emotional, social, and intellectual skills.
Heredity and environment both play an important role in the baby’s growth and development.

3. Patterns of Physical Development
3 different patterns
Head to Foot
Begins before birth and continues after birth
The head leads the development down to the feet
EX 1: Head control
EX 2: Control of muscles- hands and arms before legs and feet

4. Patterns of Physical Development
Near to Far
Development starts close to the body and goes outwards
EX: Babies will first wave their arms to get an object then eventually grab the object.
Arms  Hands  Fingers

5. Patterns of Physical Development
Simple to Complex
First develop large muscle groups
EX: neck, arms, torso, & legs
As babies strengthen and gain control over these muscles, they learn to do increasingly complex tasks.
Ex: controlling the head, rolling, reaching, crawling

6. Developmental Milestone
A key skill used to check a child’s progress
Development experts have studied the range of ages to determine the average ages at which children acquire certain skills.
Ex: A child may inherit a strong healthy body but becomes sick for an extended period time which can delay certain developmental milestones.

7. Heredity Referred to as NATURE
Includes the physical makeup, or structure, that a baby inherits from his or her parents.
Inherit a unique combination of genes
Having certain genes does not mean a person will automatically exhibit those traits.
EX: someone may be very gifted in music but if he/she does not get the opportunity to sing or play their talent may never emerge.

8. Nutrition Proper nutrition is essential for:
Essential nutrients the body needs to grow and develop
Affects bone strength, brain development, & height.
Can be at risk for illness, delayed growth, or death if the baby does not get enough calories or nutrients.

9. Health A baby who is healthy is more likely to:
Eat well and have energy to be active
Have varied experiences that stimulate the brain and aid in muscle development.
Poor health  at risk of falling behind developmentally.
Parents must provide good nutrition, a safe environment, and regular medical check-ups/care

10. Brain Development
Q: Is it the quantity or variety of experiences a child has that impacts brain development? A: Both! The baby needs a stimulating environment that provides a variety of different experience and it should be done quite often. A stimulating environment supports brain development.

11. Environment Know as NURTURE
Includes influences such as nutrition, amount of stimulation, health, and relationships.
Stimulating environment- an environment in which the baby has a wide variety of things to see, taste, smell, hear, and touch.
Important for BRAIN Development
An environment lacking in stimulation can result in fewer or weaker connections in the brain and delayed or slow development in other areas. (ex: language skills)

12. Growth and Development During the First Year
Triple in birth weight
Increase length by 50%
Doctors use growth charts to determine whether the baby is growing at a healthy pace
Growth chart- shows average height and weight of girls and boys at various ages.
Very few babies match the average measurements on growth charts  children grow at their own rate
Doctors watch for a steady pattern of growth.

13. Average Lengths and Weights
Males
Females
Age
Length (in)
Weight (lb)
Birth
19 ¾
7 ½
19 ½
3 Months 24 13
23 ½
12 ¼
6 Months
26 ½
17 ½
25 ½
15 ½
9 Months 28
20 ½
27 ½
18 ¾
12 Months 29
22 ½ 21

14. Development During the 1st Year
Weight gain is one of the best signs of good health
Most newborns will lose 10% of birth weight in the first 5 days.
Length- babies are measured lying down.
Body Shape- Newborns tend to hold themselves in a tightly curled position
Proportion- refers to the relationship between different parts of the body.
A baby’s head grows rapidly during the first year to accommodate the developing brain.

15. Understanding Averages
Q: Explain when parents should become concerned if their baby is above or below average in weight according to growth charts? A: If they are not growing at a consistent pattern or show progressive improvement in growth.

16. Senses Vision: Blurry at first then will increase within a week or so.
Can follow slow moving objects
By 1 month, babies can focus on objects up to 3 feet away
By 6 months, eyesight reaches clarity and sharpness of the adult level.
Depth Perception- the ability to perceive objects that are 3-D.
At first infants can only see the world in 2-D
By the 2nd month they can see 3-D

17. Senses Hearing Touch Develops before birth
Newborns respond to voice tone than words
By 7 months they recognize parents and other caregivers by their voice
Language development begins
Touch
Newborns rely on the touch of others to teach them about their environment
Touch progresses throughout the first year

18. Senses Smell and Taste Voice Both develop rapidly
Within 10 days they can distinguish their mother by smell
Within 2 weeks babies can taste the difference between different flavors (ex: water, sour, sugar)
Babies put anything and everything in their mouth to learn about their world.
Voice
Start to babble vowel sounds as early as 3 months
By 1 year, many babies can imitate speech sounds and understand simple phrases

19. Reflexes
Reflex- an instinctive, automatic response such as sucking or grasping
The Sucking Reflex
Stimulated when something is put in their mouth
The Rooting Reflex
Happens when the baby’s cheek is stoked
The Moro Reflex
The baby will throw the arms back with fist clenched when the arms are held and suddenly released
Other Automatic Reflexes
Shutting eyes under a bright light, grabbing a finger placed in the hand, stepping motion when feet touch floor

20. Motor Skills Gross Motor Skills Fine Motor Skills
A skill that involves large muscles of the body such as shoulders and legs
EX: Skill- jumping or running
Fine Motor Skills
Involves the smaller muscles of the body such as fingers
EX: Skill- using scissors or writing

21. Walking
Q: At about what age do babies usually take their first steps alone? A: 12 month

22. Hand-Eye Coordination
The ability to move the hands and fingers precisely in relation to what is seen
An Essential skill for
Eating
Catching a ball
Color pictures
Tie shoes
Newborns have poor hand-eye coordination
Develops as vision and motor skills improve (3-4mo.)

23. Caring For An Infant

24. Handling a Baby Holding the baby Support the baby’s neck
Hold baby close
Smooth and gentle movements

25. Handling a Baby Shaken baby syndrome
A condition that occurs when someone severely shakes a baby, usually in an effort to make him or her stop crying
Can lead to:
Cerebral palsy
Mental retardation
Blindness
Broken bones
Injuries of the neck and spine
Death

26. A month-old baby will not stop crying
A month-old baby will not stop crying. The parent is starting to feel angry and is afraid of losing control. What would you recommend?
Put the baby down in a safe place, go into another room, take some deep breaths
Ask a friend or relative to care for the baby for a few hours
Call someone and talk about the problems
Call a parenting hotline

27. Bedtime Routines Safety precautions:
Remove pillows, fluffy blankets, puffy bumper pads, and stuffed toys
Can cause suffocation
Place baby face up in crib
What will this prevent from happening?

28. Bedtime Routines What if the baby continues to cry?
Choice one: Cry it out
Leaving the baby alone to let them cry themselves to sleep
Choice two: Comfort the baby
Hold and comfort the baby immediately
Choice three: Combination of one and two
Go to the baby after a few minutes, offer comfort without picking up the baby then
Repeat the sequences if the baby continues to cry
Don’t let the baby cry more than 15 minutes

29. Feeding an Infant Introducing solid food Four to six months
Choose foods that are soft and easy to chew and swallow
Avoid salty foods
Foods that work well:
Watery rice cereals
Strained fruits and vegetable
Amount of solid foods consumed should increase over time

30. Feeding an Infant
Baby’s under the age of one should not be fed cow’s milk
Hard to digest
Babies under six months should not drink fruit juice
Promotes tooth decay
May curve or limit a child’s appetite
Should be water down

31. Feeding an Infant
Review
What are three advantages of breast feeding?

32. Feeding an Infant Possible reasons for using formula
Mother may not be able to breast feed
Father can participate
Socially acceptable in public
Convenient

33. Feeding an Infant Babies should eat until they are satisfied
Healthy babies usually eat only the amount they need
Overeating is generally not an issue

34. Feeding an Infant Self-feeding Eight or tens month Finger foods
Small pieces of food that can easily be picked up with fingers and eaten
Foods to avoid
Raw vegetables
Hot dogs
Nuts
Peanut butter
Whole grapes
Candy,
Chips
Pretzels
Popcorn

35. Feeding an Infant Burping the baby Babies swallow air as they drink
Must burp to expel air
Burp the baby at least twice throughout the feeding
Find a comfortable position to burp a baby
Gently pat baby on the back
Protect your clothing

36. Feeding an Infant Weaning
Changing from drinking from the bottle or breast to a cup
Around one year in age
Signs that they are ready to be weaned
Playing or looking around while feeding
Pushing the breast or bottle away
Showing a preference for eating solids

37. Feeding an Infant Introducing Solid Food
New foods should be introduced at least four days apart to figure out which food is the problem
Sign to look for is there is a problem with food
Rashes
Digestive trouble
Allergic reaction

38. Feeding an Infant Malnutrition Inadequate nutrition
Not receiving enough of the right types of foods
Medical conditions

39. Dressing a Baby Dressing for the weather
Dress in one more layer than an older child or adult
Babies lose heat more easily than adults but are also sensitive to overheating

40. Dressing a Baby Choosing Clothing Not too snug but not too large
Comfort and ease is most important
Snaps, cuffs, buttons, elastic waistbands

41. Infant Health and Wellness

42. Keeping the Baby Clean Two Types : Two-three months of age Sponge Bath
Until naval heals
Tub bath
Two-three months of age
Bath should occur two or three times a week

43. Cradle cap
Skin condition known for yellowish, crusty patches on the scalp
Treatment:
Wash scalp daily with mild shampoo

44. Diapering a Baby Very young babies may need changes 12-15 times a day
Diaper rash
Patches of rough, red, irritated skin in the diaper area
Treatment:
Mild cases: frequent changes
Severe cases: medicated cream

45. Steps to Changing a Diaper
Remove the diaper
Clean the baby
Using a damp washcloth or disposable wipe
Put on a fresh diaper
Hold the baby’s ankles and lift the body to slide the diaper underneath the baby
Dispose of used supplies

46. Teeth Develop around the 6th week of pregnancy
Begin to break through around 6 months or later
Teething
The process of the teeth pushing their way through the gums
Signs of teething
Gums swell and become tender
Baby become cranky
Fuss during feedings
Drool a lot
Low-grade fever
Want to chew on hard items

47. Infant Safety Concerns
Choking
Suffocation
Water accidents
Falls
Poisoning
Burns
Sun
Animals
How can you reduce the risk of injury from the above categories?

48. Regular Checkups Checkups usually scheduled…
Two or three days after birth
1 month
2 months
4 months
6 months
9 months
12 months

49. The Importance of Immunization
Immunizations
A shot of a small amount of a dead or weak disease-carrying germ given so the body may build resistance to the disease
After being immunized, the body produces antibodies to fight off the germs from the disease

50. Common Immunizations Hepatitis B Tetanus Polio Measles, Mumps, Rubella
Vercelli (Chicken pox)
Influenza
Hepatitis A