Physical Development of an Infant

Age

• Newborns–Birth to 3 months

• Infants–3 months to 12 months/1 year

Physical Development

• Sequence of normal physical development:– Lifting their head–Rolling over– Sitting up–Creeping–Crawling–Cruising–Walking

Crawling

• Babies might skip the crawling phase, but studies have linked crawling to the development of brain pathways necessary for reading and other cognitive skills.

• Provide toys that get a child down on the ground to crawl around during play.

Neck and Eye Development

• Since the neck muscle is weak, place one hand under their neck to support their head and neck.

• A slow moving mobile above the baby’s head will develop the infant’s eye muscles.

Height and Weight

• By the end of their first year, the infant has:– Tripled their birth weight– Increased their length by one-half

Nutrition

• If the baby cries, don’t immediately offer food.

• Tears don’t mean hunger and you don’t want them associating food with comfort.

• Never microwave a bottle of milk.• Why?

Warming a Bottle

• It creates dangerous hot spots in the liquid that will burn the baby.

• Run the bottle under hot water until the milk is lukewarm.

• Set the bottle in a pot of water on the stove and heat to lukewarm.

• Check the temperature by shaking a few drops onto your wrist.

Bottle Feeding

• Propping a bottle up in the baby’s mouth causes milk to gush into their mouth.

• The baby could develop ear infections, digestive problems, and tooth decay.

• The baby will also miss out on the important physical contact and attention.

Bottle Feeding

• Throw away unfinished bottles that have been sitting in the fridge for over two hours.

• Bottle fed babies are at risk for overfeeding because the caregiver may urge the baby to finish the milk left in the bottle, even if the child is full.

Solid Foods

• At around 6 months of age, the infant is able to digest solid foods.

• The infant has control over the thrusting reflex so it won’t spend the majority of feeding time thrusting out its tongue and the food.

• Introduce one new food at a time to be able to identify allergic reactions to food.

Introducing Solid Foods

• First: Cereal and grains–Rice, barley or oats–Wait on the wheat (common allergen for

many babies)• Second: Vegetables, yellow/orange varieties– Sweet potatoes and carrots–Greens (peas and beans) have a slightly

stronger flavor

Introducing Solid Foods

• Third: Fruits–Mashed bananas, baby applesauce,

peaches, pears • 7 Months: Proteins–Poultry first–Beef second

• 7 Months: Dairy– Yogurt, cottage cheese, egg yolks

Introducing Solid Foods

• It is important to research options for feeding infants.

• Some doctors recommend waiting to feed infants baby cereal because so many can develop grain sensitivities or allergies. Instead, they start babies on vegetables first.

Foods to Avoid the First Year

• Increased risk of developing food allergies:–Cow’s milk– Egg whites–Citrus fruits–Peanut butter– Fish

– Sugary juice & pop– Sugary snacks– Salty snacks–Honey (wait until

they are 2 years old)

Baby Food Jars

• Never feed a baby directly from the baby food jar.

• Bacteria from the baby’s saliva mix in and lives in the baby food.

• It begins to break down the food and causes it to spoil.

• Disease-causing bacteria can grow quickly and lead to illness.

• Pour the food out into a bowl.

Self-Feeding

• Children begin self-feeding at around 8-10 months.

• Guidelines for self-feeding safely include:– Small pieces– Easy to break apart–Nothing that must be chewed– Small amounts at a time–Watch them continuously

Follow MyPlate Guidelines

• Give smaller serving sizes/portions• Use their hand as a guide for their portion.• Help children to enjoy fresh fruits and

vegetables.• Limit salty, sweet and fatty foods.• Provide enough calories for rapid growth

Follow MyPlate Guidelines

• Provide foods rich in necessary nutrients such as protein, iron, calcium, B-vitamins, C-vitamins, D-vitamins.

• Foods that are easy to digest.• Adequate amount of liquid–Mostly water–Can also provide 100% juices

Summary

• Infants should follow a sequence of physical development.

• Understand the do’s and don’ts of feeding infants solid foods.

Baby Food Guessing Game

• Now let’s see what you think of the taste of baby food!