development and care of infants

DEVELOPMENT AND CARE OF INFANTSBirth-12 Months

Physical Development Growth in size and weight Increased ability to control & coordinate

body movements Never in a lifetime will anyone grow as

fast as they do during infancy

Patterns of Physical Development Head to Foot Develop control of head and neck muscles

first, then control of muscles move down baby and end with control of legs and feet

Near to Far Development begins at trunk and moves

outward to hands and feet Simple to Complex Large muscles develop first, then more fine

muscles and complex abilities later

Categories of Growth & Development First Year

Weight Gain is one of the best signs of good health Most babies lose 10% of birth weight in the

first five days of life Afterward, they gain weight rapidly Gain 1-2 pounds per month in the first 6

months Gain about 1 pound a month in the next 6

months Average weight of one year old is 20-22 lbs

Growth Chart C:\Users\Jenifer\Desktop\Growth Chart.p

df

Categories, cont’d Length instead of height because babies

are measured while lying down Average baby is 20 inches at birth Boys are slightly longer than girls Average baby at one year is 30 inches

long

Body Shape Hold themselves in a tightly secured

position with fists clenched Skinny arms and legs, large abdomen Navel cord usually falls off in three

weeks Body straightens out during the first six

months

Proportion Proportion relates to size relationship

between different parts of the body Baby’s head and abdomen are large, and

the legs and arms are short and small Skull has fontanels

Categories, cont’d.

Vision Improves rapidly during the first year Is blurry at birth, but within a week or so,

infant is aware of surroundings By one month, infant can focus on

objects as far away as 3 feet By six months, eyesight reaches the

sharpness of adult vision

Hearing Develops before birth Can tell the direction of sound Language develops with hearing spoken

words

Touch Baby relies on touch of others to teach

them about the environment Relies on touch for exploration Touch becomes a more important sense

for learning as his/her first year progresses

Smell and Taste Develop after birth Within 10 days they can distinguish

mother from any other person by smell Two week old babies can tell the

difference between water, sour, sugar, salt, and milk

Voice Shrill but softens as lungs mature Change in voice results from physical

growth of throat muscles, tongue, lips, teeth, and vocal cords

Change in tongue and in the shape and proportion of the inside of the mouth during first months lead to speech development

Motor Skills* At birth babies have little control over

their muscles Gross motor skills involve using large

muscles (arms and legs) Fine motor skills involve using small

muscles (hands and fingers) Milestones of gross and fine motor skills

occur

Reflexes At birth, babies have an automatic set of

reflexes to help them survive GRASP: Makes a fist over object placed in

hand ROOTING: When cheek is stroked, baby

turns toward the side stroked with open mouth

STARTLE: When baby’s position changes quickly or a loud noise occurs baby throws head back, arms out, and arches back

Reflexes (cont’d) BABINSKI: Baby’s foot is stroked and toes

fan out, foot twists inward

SUCKING: when something put in baby’s mouth

Influences on Physical Development Heredity-provides a unique combination

of genes from parents Good nutrition, essential nutrients, key

to lifelong health Staying healthy closely related to eating

well and having energy to be active Experience is important key to

development A stimulating environment (variety of

things to see, smell, hear, taste, and touch) enhance development

Infant Physical Care Handling-head and neck support Feeding-

Breast vs bottle Burping (every 2-3 ounces, or when switch sides) Introducing solid foods (4-6 months)

http://www.webmd.com/favicon.ico Food

Teeth-teething and care Bathing-sponge bath and tub bath Dressing-comfort, climate appropriate

Infant Physical Care (cont’d) Diapering-disposable and cloth diapers,

changing steps

Sleeping-routines and proper position (back)

Medical care-wellness checkups 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 months