Growth & Development of Infants

Head to foot: lift head, gain muscle control of arms and hands Physical Development Head to foot: lift head, gain muscle control of arms and hands Near to far: wave arms, grab object, learn to pick up with thumbs and fingers Simple to complex: first eat with fingers, than learns to use a spoon or fork

Growth During First Year Weight -sign of good health -infant gains 1-2 lbs each month from birth to 6 years old -Second 6 months=baby gains weight less rapidly than in first 6 months. Height -heredity influences height more than weight -At about a year old, average height=30 inches Proportion -size relationship between different parts of body -During first year, proportions of baby’s body change.

Development During First Year Sight -newborn can focus on something that 7-10 inches away and at 1 month, 3 feet -prefers high contrast , stripes, faces, bull's-eyes, and the color red -helps develop hand eye coordination Hearing -develops before birth -responds to a tone of a voice and is alarmed at loud angry voices Taste & Smell - within ten days they can distinguish by smell their mother from another person - taste rapidly develops

Development Continued… Voice - cry becomes softer as lungs mature - physical growth of the throat muscles, tongue, lips, teeth, and vocal cords Teeth - development begins the sixth week of pregnancy - first set of teeth are called primary teeth (baby teeth) which come at six to seven months of age -Causes pain, swelling, and baby becomes cranky Motor Skills - depends on muscle control - requires intellectual, social, & emotional development which shows during the first year.

Motor Skills 1 month: lifts chin when placed on stomach 2 months: lifts chest well above surface when placed on stomach 3-4 months: holds head up steadily unsteadily reaches for objects rolls from side to back or back to side 5-6 months: sits alone briefly turns completely over when laid on back or stomach 7-8 months: eats with fingers picks up large objects pulls self up while holding onto furniture 9-10 months: reaches for and manipulates objects with good control crawls on hands and knees 11-12 months: may walk alone picks up small objects using thumb and forefinger fits blocks, boxes, or nesting toys inside one another