HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

BIRTH AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT DURING THE

FIRST THREE YEARS

Carlos F. Martinez MHA, M.Ed.

http://carlosFmartinez.com

Overview History Child Birth Process Cesarean Delivery The New Baby Born Complications of Childbirth Early Physical Development Nutrition Sensory and Perceptual

Development

How Birth Has Changed Child birth before the 20th century (US &

Europe) The development of science: delivery at

hospitals Today: delivery in birth centers

Child Birth Process Dilation of the cervix

Descent of the baby

Expulsion of the umbilical cord and placenta

The Birth Process

The Birth Process…(Continue)

Electronic Fetal Monitoring

Vaginal VS Cesarean Delivery

Medicated VS Non-medicated Delivery

Cesarean Surgery (pictures)http://pregnancy.about.com/od/cesareansection/ss/cesarean.htm

In this picture the doctor is getting ready to make the initial incision into her abdomen

Cesarean Surgery (pictures) There are multiple layers that the surgeon has

to go through. The procedure can last from 5 to 10 minutes

Cesarean Surgery (pictures) The doctor will use a combination of sharp instruments and

blunt dissection as s/he goes through each layer. You may also hear whirring noises as a machine is used to burn small

blood vessels to prevent bleeding

Cesarean Surgery (pictures) When the doctor reaches the uterus, you will also hear

suctioning. After cutting through the uterus, the amniotic fluid will be suctioned away to make a bit more room in the uterus for the doctor's hands or instruments such as forceps or a vacuum extractor.

Cesarean Surgery (pictures) The baby is usually engaged in the pelvis, usually head down,

but perhaps rear first or breech. Whatever part has entered the pelvis will be lifted out by the doctors. The pt. may feel pressure at this point and some women report feeling

nauseated during this intense, but brief moment.

Cesarean Surgery (pictures) The baby’s head is born

Cesarean Surgery (pictures) Once the head is out, your doctor will suction the baby's nose

and mouth for fluids. In a vaginal birth these are normally squeezed out by labor and birth. In a cesarean birth, the baby needs some extra help getting rid of these fluids.

Cesarean Surgery (pictures) Once the baby has been well suctioned, the doctor will start

to help the rest of the body be born. S/he will check of

umbilical cord entanglement or other complications.

Cesarean Surgery (pictures) The moment you've been waiting for - the baby's birth! It's

been about 5-10 minutes since the surgery started. The baby will briefly be held over the drape and then taken away by a nurse to a nearby warmer.

Cesarean Surgery (pictures) The repair of the uterus and the layers that were cut during

the surgery need to be repaired. During this portion of the surgery the placenta will also be removed and examined by your doctor. This is the longest part of the cesarean section, which total takes about 45-60 minutes to complete.

The New Baby Born Size and Appearance. Body Systems. Medical and Behavioral Assessments. States of Arousal.

Complications of ChildbirthLow Birth Weight:1. Smoking during pregnancy

2. Induced delivery

3. Delayed childbearing

4. Fertility drugs

5. Poor nutrition

6. Medical conditions (High blood pressure, depression, anemia, etc.)

Complications of Childbirth…(Continue)

Post-maturity

Stillbirth

Survival and HealthDeath during Infancy:1. About 8 million infants die before 1 year old (worldwide).2. Causes: Preterm delivery, pneumonia, asphyxiation.3. In the US 6.87 infants died for every 1,000 live births (Year

2005).4. Birth defects is the # 1 cause of infant deaths in US,

followed by SIDS, low-birth weight, and other maternal complications of pregnancy.

5. African American babies are twice as likely to die in their first year compared to white and Hispanic babies.

6. Death from Injuries.

SIDS Sudden infant death syndrome is a

condition that occurs when infants stop breathing, usually during the night, & die without apparent cause.

It is recommended to place infants on their backs to sleep in order to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Early Physical Development

Principles of Development Cephalocaudal Principle: is a sequence in which

the greatest growth always occur at the top – the head – with physical growth in size and weight and gradually works its way down from top to bottom.

Proximodistal Principle: refers to the sequence in which growth starts at the centre of the body and moves outwards towards the extremities.

Early Physical Development

Early Physical Development…(Continue)

The Brain:

1. Building the Brain

2. Major Parts of the Brain

3. Brain Cells

The Brain’s Development At birth, the newborn’s brain is about 25% of

its adult weight. By age 2, the brain is about 75% of its adult

weight. Newborns have all of the neurons they will

ever have – about 100 billion. The primary motor areas of the brain develop

earlier than the primary sensory areas.

The Neuron…what is it? Definition of a Neuron

A nerve cell that handles information processing at the cellular level

The Brain’s Hemispheres The cerebral cortex, the highest level of the brain, is divided

into 2 halves, or hemispheres. Each hemisphere is involved in various & specialized

functions of thinking, feeling, & behavior. Extensive research on the brain’s hemispheres has focused on

language. At birth, the hemispheres have already started to specialize. Newborns show greater electrical brain activity in the left

hemisphere than the right hemisphere when listening to speech.

The Brain’s Hemispheres

Early Physical Development…(Continue)

Nutrition:

1. Breast or Bottle?

2. Encouraging Breast-Feeding

Nutrition Human milk, or alternative formula, is the baby’s

source of nutrients & energy for the first 4 to 6 months of life.

Growing consensus is that breast-feeding is better for the baby’s health.

Nutritional Needs and Feeding Appropriate weight gain Fewer allergies Prevention or reduction of gastrointestinal &

respiratory infections also acute & recurrent otitis media (middle ear infections)

Denser bones in childhood & adulthood Reduced risks for childhood cancer & breast cancer

in mothers. Lower incidence of SIDS

Malnutrition in Infancy Weaning from breast milk to inadequate

nutrients, such as unsuitable & unsanitary cow’s milk formula, can lead to conditions called marasmus & kwashiorkor.

Even if it’s not fatal, severe & lengthy malnutrition is detrimental to physical, cognitive, & social development.

Marasmus Marasmus is a wasting away of body tissue

in the infant’s first year, caused by severe protein calorie deficiency.

Infants become grossly underweight & muscles atrophy.

Kwashiorkor Kwashiorkor is a condition caused by a deficiency in protein

in which the child’s face, legs, & abdomen swell with water. Vital organs collect nutrients & deprive other parts of the

body of them. Hair becomes thin, brittle, & colorless.

Sensory and PerceptualDevelopment Sensation and Perception Visual Perception Hearing Touch Smell Taste

Sensation and Perception Sensations occur when information interacts

with sensory receptors – the eyes, ears, tongue, nostrils, and skin.

Perception is the interpretation of what is sensed.

Visual Perception The newborn’s vision is estimated to be 20/400 to

20/800 on the Snellan chart – about 10–30 times lower than normal adult vision (20/20).

By 6 months vision improves to 20/100. By 8 months, vision approximates that of an adult. By 4 months all color-sensitive receptors are

functioning at adult capacity.

Hearing In the last few months of pregnancy, a fetus

can hear sounds (the mother’s voice, music, etc.)

Infants are born with the ability to discriminate speech sounds from any language, but without constant exposure, they lose the ability by their 1st birthday.

Touch Newborns respond to touch, particularly with

the sucking & rooting reflex. An important ability that develops during the

first year is to connect information about vision with information about touch.

Newborns can feel pain.

Smell Newborns can differentiate odors. Young infants show a preference for the smell

of their mother’s breast by six days old.

Taste Sensitivity to taste may be present at before

birth. Two-hour-old newborns made different facial

expressions when they tasted sweet, sour, and bitter solutions.

At 4 months of age, infants prefer salty tastes, which newborns found adverse.

Motor Development Reflexes

Gross Motor Skills

Fine Motor Skills

Motor Development…(Continue) Reflexes are genetically carried survival

mechanisms, that govern the newborn’s movements.

Reflexes may serve as important building blocks for subsequent purposeful motor activity.

The Sucking Reflex The sucking reflex occurs when newborns

automatically suck an object placed in their mouth.

Enables newborns to get nourishment before they have associated a nipple with food.

Disappears after 3–4 months.

The Rooting Reflex The rooting reflex occurs when the infant’s

cheek is stroked or the side of the mouth is touched.

In response, the infant turns its head towards the side that was touched in an apparent effort to find something to suck.

Disappears after 3–4 months.

The Moro Reflex A neonatal startle response that occurs in response

to a sudden, intense noise or movement. When startled, a newborn arches its back, throws

back its head, & flings out its arms & legs. The newborn then rapidly closes its arms & legs to

the centre of the body. Disappears after 3–4 months

The Grasping Reflex The grasping response occurs when

something touches the infant’s palms. Infant responds by grasping tightly. Replaced around the end of the third month

by voluntary grasps, often produced by visual stimuli.

Gross Motor Skills Gross motor skills involve large muscle activities,

such as moving one’s arms & walking. Gross motor changes are the most dramatic &

observable changes in the infant’s 1st yr of life. The month at which gross motor milestones occur

varies by as much as 2-4 months. In the 2nd yr of life toddlers become more mobile.

Gross Motor Skills

Fine Motor Skills Fine motor skills involve more finely tuned

movements, such as finger dexterity. Infants have hardly any control over fine motor

skills at birth. They do have many components of what later

become finely coordinated hand & finger movements.

Reaching & grasping become more refined during the first 2 yrs of life.

Questions?

THANK YOU!

carlos@carlosFmartinez.com