BABY’S FIRST YEARUnit 3

7. 1 infant growth and development

Growth- changes in size such as weight and length

Development- increases and changes in physical, emotion, social or intellectual skills

Developmental milestone- a key skill used to check a child’s progress

Environment Stimulating environment: baby has a

wide variety of things to see, taste, smell, hear and touch Stimulating environment babies make more

brain connections Lacking environment results in weaker

brain connections language

Growth during the 1st year

From birth to age 1 infants typically triple their birth weight Lose 10% birth weight in first 5 days then

gain Average 1 year old weighs 20-22lbs

Increase length by 50% Growth chart- shows average weight

and height of girls and boys at various ages

Patterns of Physical Development

Head to Foot Begins in prenatal development head movement before walking

Near to Far Close to the body and moves outward Arms then fingers

Simple to Complex Head control, rolling, reaching, crawling,

walking Talking, reading, writing

Senses

Vision Blurry then can see 7-10 inches away by 1 week 1 month can see up to 3 feet away 6 months eyesight reaches that of an adult Only see 2D until second month Patterns and colors of high contrast-red and blue

Hearing Develops before birth

Touch Prefer warm and soft

Smell Does not develop until after birth Within 10 days can distinguish mother from others

Taste Prefer sweet

Developmental Milestones

First month Lifts head and turns from side to side Reacts to parents voice

Second month Watches objects move Makes babble sounds

Third month Open and close hands Lifts head and chest when on stomach

Fourth month Grasps rattle Puts hands in mouth Rolls from tummy to back

Fifth month Turns head in direction of sound Knows happy speech from unhappy speech

Sixth month Passes object from one hand to the other Puts objects in mouth

Seventh month Rolls over both ways Sits up steadily Stands with assistance

Eighth month Pulls self up Bangs blocks together

Ninth month Uses index finger to poke Puts objects in containers

Tenth month Crawls Imitates new sounds

Eleventh month Walks while holding onto furniture Grasps with thumb and forefinger Uses gestures

Twelfth month Walk a few steps alone Stands alone Holds and drinks from cup

Physical Development Gross motor skills- skill that involves

the large muscles of the body Fine motor skills- involves the smaller

muscles of the body

7.2 Caring for an Infant Sleeping

Place infant on their back when sleeping Newborns sleep up to 20hrs a day-

decreases to 12 by 1 year Clothing

Babies lose heat quickly as are also sensitive to overheating

Dress baby in 1 more layer than an older child or adult would wear

Clothing size is determined by weight and age

Feeding Breast milk or formula Burp baby during and after feeding Introduce solid foods around 4-6 months Weaning off bottle to cup around 9-12

months Self feeding when they can sit up Allergies malnutrition

Infant Safety Concerns Choking Suffocation Water Falls Poisoning Burns Sun Animals

Check-ups Newborn, months 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 immunizations

7.3 infant health and wellness

Cradle cap- skin condition known for yellowish, crusty patches on the scalp

Diaper rash- patches of rough, red, irritated skin in diaper area

Teething- process of teeth pushing through the gums

8.1 Emotional Development Emotional development- process of

learning to recognize and express feelings and to establish a personal identity

Failure to thrive- condition in which babies do not grow and develop properly. Do not respond to people and objects. Can be caused by neglect, abuse or another

form of stress Can fail to thrive if they do not have a

stimulating environment

Crying

Crying is the way infants express emotion

4 basic cries Hungry

Rhythmic rise and fall-demanding Pain

Loud gasps-shrieks Bored

Low pitched-increases when ignored Angry

Loud-demanding

Uncontrollable Crying

Colic- uncontrollable crying by an otherwise healthy baby Difficult-impossible to comfort Usually ends around 3-4 months Gas, lactose intolerance, breast feeding

Reflux –partially digested food rises in the throat Forceful vomitting

Parents Responsibilities

Parent/caregiver responding to an infants cry is a vital part of emotional nurturing

Help baby to learn to trust and bond (AKA attachment) Learning trust vs. mistrust, Erikson’s

psychosocial development Healthy attachment develops trust,

self-esteem, social and emotional development

Understanding Temperament

How a baby reacts to others and the world

Nine different traits-each child has each trait to a greater or lesser degree Intensity

How strong or weak are a child’s emotional responses to events

Persistence How determined is a child to complete an action

Sensitivity How strongly does a child react to his or her

feelings

Perceptiveness How aware of all that is around them

Adaptability How easily do they accept change

Regularity Does their behavior follow regular patterns

Activity What is child’s energy level

Approach How they face new situations

Mood Cheerful or cranky

8.2 Social Development of Infants

Social development- process of learning how to interact and express oneself with others Closely related to emotional development

Learning through cause and effect Learning through imitation Social development through

exploration

Social Developmental Milestones

1 month Coos and babbles

2-3 months Begins to smile and show excitement

4-6 months Laughs, squeals, babbles May cry when left alone

7-8 months Tries to imitate sounds begins to experience stranger anxiety

9-10 months Enjoys playing peek-a-boo

11-12 months Spends time looking in mirrors

9.1 Early Brain Development At birth, the brain has billion of

neurons a nerve cell

In response to experiences, babies’ brains immediately begin to develop links between neurons called neural pathways

These pathways “wire” the brain so that it can control different body functions and thinking processes

Parts of the brain Brain divided into sections which control specific functions Cerebrum

Speech, memory, problem solving Cortex- growth permits more complex learning

Thalamus Sensory information from other parts to the cortex

Pituitary gland Secrete hormones that control growth, metabolism, and

sexual development Brain stem

Involuntary activities- breathing, heart rate, blood pressure

Spinal cord Transmits info from body to brain and vice versa

Cerebellum Muscular coordination and balance

How the brain works Neurons are connected by axons On the end of neurons there are

dendrites

9.2 intellectual development Signs of intellectual growth

Remembering experiences Making associations Understanding cause and effect Paying attention

Sensorimotor period Piaget’s first stage of learning Babies learn through their senses Learn object permanence – concept

that objects will continue to exist even when they are out of sight- 10 months

9.3 Helping Infants Learn

Communication Sign language

As early as 6 months Enhances language development

Learning to speak Babies must learn to associate meanings

with words Caregivers should constantly talk to infant Understandable words between 8-15

months Reading teaches speech

Importance of play Essential to development Choosing toys

Usefulness Safety