Infant Growth and Development 7.1

INFLUENCES ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Developmental Milestones: key skill used to check a child’s progress Babies experiences a tremendous amount of physical growth and development in their first year of life. The terms growth and development are often used interchangeably but are NOT the same thing. Growth- changes in size, such as weight and length Development- increases and changes in physical, emotional, social, and intellectual skills. Researchers have found that both heredity and environment play an important role in both. Developmental Milestones: key skill used to check a child’s progress

Heredity Genes provide a blueprint for the development of the human body. Children inherit a unique combination of genes from their parents. Having certain genes, though, does not mean a person will automatically exhibit those traits. Nature and nurture both play a role in determining how a child grows and developments. Example: if a girl has genes that may give her the potential to be musically gifted- but never given the change to play and instrument.

Nutrition: The body needs essential nutrients to grow and develop. Eating foods that contain these nutrients is vital to a child’s lifelong health. Proper nutrition fuels development. Affects: Physical Growth and Development Bone Strength Brain Development Height Improper nutrition can lead to: Illness Delayed growth Death

Health: Staying healthy is closely linked to other factors that influence growth and development. A healthy baby is more likely to have a varied experiences that stimulate the brain and aid in muscle development. An infant with poor health is at risk of falling behind developmentally. In addition to providing good nutrition; parents must provide; Safe Environment Regular Medical Check-ups Care

Environment: An infant’s experience are an important part of development. Brain development is linked to the quantity and variety of experiences a child has. Infancy is a critical period. Failure to achieve normal brain development at this stage can have life-long effects. Stimulating Environment: is an environment in which the baby has a wide variety of things to see, taste, smell, hear, and touch.

Growth and Development During the First Year

Growth During the First Year From birth to age one, babies typically: triple their birth weight. Increase in their length by 50% Growth Chart: shows average weight and height for girls and boys at various ages. Very few babies match the average measurements on growth charts Children grow at their own rate, watch for a steady pattern.

Weight: Weight gain is one of the best signs of good health. Most newborns lose about 10% of their birth weight in the first 5 days of life. After that, they begin to gain weight rapidly. In the first 6 months a healthy baby gains about 1-2 pounds per month. In the following 6 months the average monthly weight gain is about 1 pounds. A baby’s birth weight usually doubles in the first few months and triples by the 12th month. Average weight of a one year old is 20-22 pounds.

Not all babies grow at the same rate. Length: In the first year, physicians talk about the length of baby rather than the height. Measure lying down. Babies steadily grow in length the first year Bone growth is rapid at this time Average newborn measure 20 inches One year later, the average is about 30 inches. Not all babies grow at the same rate. Boys tend to be slightly longer than girls. Heredity has a stronger influence on height than weight.

Body Shape: Newborns tend to hold themselves in a tightly curled position with their fists clenched, legs bent, and feet curved inward. Head may be slightly elongated due to the birthing process Arms and legs are skinny Abdomen is large Umbilical cord stump usually dries up and falls off within 3 weeks after birth- revealing navel Babies look chubby by 3 months of age, lose that look as they grow older.

Proportion: Proportion: refers to the size relationship between different parts of the body. Compared to the rest of the body, a baby’s head and abdomen are large. Legs and arms are short and small. Babies head grows rapidly during the first year to accommodate or make room for their developing brain. More than ½ of total growth of the head occurs during this time. Bones of a newborn skull have gaps called fontanels. During birth the gaps allowed the head to change shape to pass through the birth canal During infancy they allow the head to grow as the brain develops and will later close up permanently.

Development During the First Year

Patterns of Physical Development Head to Foot: pattern starts long before birth; and continues after birth- Babies first develop some control of head movement and then development works its way down. Near to Far: An infant’s development starts close to the body and moves outward. For example; they will first learn to wave their arms and then realize they can just move their hand/fingers. Simple to Complex: Babies first develop their large muscles(neck, torso, legs, etc) Then move to more complex development (hand control- coloring)

Senses As babies grow and develop during their first year, their senses are also developing. Vision A baby’s eyesight improves rapidly during the first year. At first, vision is blurry. Within a week they are increasingly aware of their environment and can see 7-10 inches. By one month they can focus on objects up to 3 feet. 2 Months: Depth Perception: is the ability to perceive objects that are three-dimensional. Track movement, judge how far people are away

Hearing A baby’s sense of hearing develops before birth. Unborn babies often respond to sounds with changes in heart rate or activity. At birth, a full-term baby can already tell he general direction that sound comes from. Respond to the tone of voice rather than words. Soothing, loving voice vs. loud alarms, screaming, etc. Language development begins with hearing spoken words first, and them imitating and understanding them.

Touch Newborns lack both sufficient brain development and movement skills to explore their world through touch. Rely on the touch of others to teach them about their environment Becomes more important as the first year progresses. Textures- Blankets, Clothing, etc. Smell and Taste Smell: Does not develop until after birth (amniotic fluid) Within 10 days- can distinguish the smell of mom Taste Develops rapidly 2 weeks old- can distinguish between water, sour liquids, sugar, milk Throughout the first year they put everything in their mouths trying to explore with their taste buds.

Voice The newborn’s cry is shrill, but it softens as the lungs mature. Change in voice results from physical growth of the throat muscles, tongue, lips, teeth, and vocal cords

Reflexes A reflex is an instinctive, automatic response, such as grasping or sucking. The Sucking Reflex Is stimulated when something is put in a baby’s mouth. This allows a newborn to feed The Rooting Reflex This happens when the baby’s cheek is stroked. The baby turns toward the side of his or her face that was stroked. Other Automatic Reflexes Shutting the eyes under bright lights. Grabbing a finger when placed in their palm. Moro Reflex- causes a baby to throw arms back with fists clenched when the are suddenly released.

Motor Skills Two basic types: Gross Motor skills: skills that involve the large muscles of the body such as the legs and shoulders Newborns can turn their head, wave their arms, and kick their legs. Occur due to reflexes not controlled muscles. One of the first motor skills they acquire is the movement of their head. Fine Motor Skills: involves the smaller muscles of the body such as the fingers. Require precise movements such as writing or using scissors. By about 5 or 6 months they can grab a toy of their choice 9-12 Months- They can learn to self-feed

Hand-Eye Coordination The ability to move the hands and fingers precisely in relation to what is seen. This is an essential skill for many tasks in life. Catch a ball Eat Color Pictures Text Tie Shoes Etc Newborns have poor hand-eye coordination. It develops as vision and motor skills improve. By the end of the first year, babies can pick up an object and put it in another place.