Growth and Development of Infants

Growth and Development of Infants November 3, 2011

Growth and development • Do these mean the same thing? • Growth = changes in size • Development = increase in physical, emotional, social or intellectual skills • Both occur rapidly during the first year

Physical development • Follows a sequence • 3 basic patterns • Head to Foot • Head take lead before birth and continues • Lift heads first, then can reach for objects, then walk • Near to Far • Starts at trunk and moves outward • Wave arms, then grab, then pick up • Simple to Complex • Hold bottle, eat with fingers, use fork

Growth - Weight • One of the best signs of good health • Most lose a little after birth and then gain it back rapidly • Gain 1-2 pounds for the first six months • Second six months, 1 pound/month • Triples by the end of the first year • May differ depending on heredity, feeding habits, level of physical activity

Height • Steady for the first year • Average newborn is 20 inches • By 12 months, average is 30 inches • More strongly influenced by heredity than weight

Growth charts • Show average weight, height, and abilities of children at certain ages • General idea, but all have individual rates

Development • Sight • Improves rapidly • Blurry at birth • 1 week – can see objects 7 to 10 inches away • 1 month – can see objects 3 feet away • 3 ½ months – almost as good as an adults • Prefer patterns with high contrast and color red

Sight continued… • Depth perception • Develops in 2nd month • Able to recognize when an object isn’t flat • By 3rd month, prefer real objects over pictures • Hand-eye coordination • Improves with vision improvement • Gain increasing ability to move their hands and fingers precisely where they want • 3-4 months: begin to reach for object

Hearing • Develops before birth • Respond to sounds while still in uterus • At birth, can tell the general direction sound comes from • Newborns respond to the tone of voice rather than words

Smell and Taste • Smell • Doesn’t develop before birth • Surrounded by amniotic fluid • Newborns respond to different smells • Within 10 days can distinguish smell of their mother • Taste • Develops rapidly • At 2 weeks, can taste the difference between water, sour liquids, sugar solutions, salt solutions and milk

Voice • Understand many words before they are able to speak • Physically ready for speech by end of 1st year • Learn to speak at different rates • Most don’t speak until after 1st birthday

Teeth • Begins at the 6th week of pregnancy • 1st set of primary teeth “baby teeth” don’t being to appear until 6 or 7 months • Complete set by approximately 20 months • Teething can be painful • Give teething biscuits • Ice cube or something cold

Motor Skills • Abilities that depend on the use and control of muscles • Much of their development is in this area • Requires intellectual, social, and emotional development, as well as physical • Each area’s development affects other areas • One of the 1st – able to lift and control head

Growth and Development of Infants