1. Understanding Children
From Birth to Age 2

4. Terms to Know Reflex Motor sequence Object permanence
Deferred imitation
Telegraphic speech
Temperament
Attachment
Separation anxiety

5. Physical Development Size and Shape
Approximately 7 ½ pounds at birth, to 22 pounds at 1 year.
By 2 years, most children weigh 4x birth weight
Avg. newborn measures 20 inches.
By 2 years, most children measure 32 to 36 inches
Boys are taller and heavier than girls.
Boys reach half their adult height by 2 years old
Girls will have passed their halfway mark by 1 or 2 inches.

6. Physical Development Reflexes Palmar Grasp
An automatic body response to a stimulus
Sucking
Helps the infant obtain food for survival
Rooting
Turn head toward anything that touches the face
Moro
Aka “startle reflex”
Flings legs and arms outward and extends head
Palmar Grasp
Touch the baby’s palms and it will grip tightly.
Grip is tight enough to lift baby into sitting position
Babinski
When stroking the sole of the foot on outside from heel to toe, toes will fan out and foot twists in
Stepping / Walking
When feet are held flat on a surface, the infant will lift one foot after another into a stepping motion

7. Physical Development Motor Sequence Head and trunk control
The order in which a child is able to perform new movements
Each new movement builds on previous abilities
Head and trunk control
Rolling over
Sit upright
Gradually able to pull themselves into sitting positions
Crawl
Creep
Stand with support
Walk with help of an adult
Stand without support
Walk with no help

8. Health and Safety SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) To reduce risk:
Place infants on their backs for sleep
Provide a firm crib, covered by a sheet
Keep soft materials, such as comforters, pillows, and stuffed toys out of the crib
Make sure the sleeping area is a comfortable temperature to keep infants from becoming overheated

9. Failure to Thrive
Symptoms include lack of weight gain and height growth in comparison to other children of the same age
Planned causes
Malnutrition by neglect
Unplanned causes
Low birth weight
Poverty
Poor social interaction
Improper feeding skills
Disease (gastric reflux, cystic fibrosis, lead poisoning)

10. Cognitive Development
Birth to 3 months
Vision is blurry at birth
As vision improves, infants show preferences for certain objects
From birth, infants will turn their head towards a sound
By 3 weeks, infants can distinguish between voice of parent and voice of a stranger
3 to 6 months
Infants start to learn they can touch, shake, and hit objects they see
Memory, foresight and self – awareness develop
New responses, such as cooing

11. Cognitive Development
6 to 9 months
Object permanence – objects continue to exist even if they cannot be seen
OP shows a developing memory
Learning communication by crying to call person
12 to 18 months
Find new ways to use toys (rolling, tossing, bouncing)
Cause and effect (hit water=ripples/splash)
Learn to say many new words

12. Cognitive Development
18 to 24 months
Think before acting
Actively exploring everything
Do not realize the dangers in actions
Deferred imitation – watching another person’s behavior and then acting out that behavior
Telegraphic speech – short, 2 word sentences (ex: doggie bark, baby cry)

13. Social – Emotional Development
After the 1st birthday, children take more interest in other toddlers, however adults are still most important to children in this age group.
Temperament
The quality and intensity of emotional reactions.
Passivity – how actively involved a child is with surroundings
Irritability – tendency to feel distressed
Activity patterns – levels of movement
Each child has a different temperament and you must adjust to the mood of each child.

14. Social – Emotional Development
Attachment
The strong emotional connection that develops between people
Infants mainly become attached to the people who care for them (mother, father, siblings)
Quality of attachment depends on adults’ responses
Separation Anxiety – when a child protests because a familiar caregiver is leaving