Growth and Development of Infants

Baby Pictures

 Baby Polar Bear  Adult Polar Bear

 Puppy

Baby Pictures

 Adult Dog

Patterns of Physical Development   

Head to toe

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Lift head to see object Muscle control: pick up Walk towards

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Near to far: trunk outward Wave arms Grab with palm of hand Pick up with thumb and fingers

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Simple to complex Eating with fingers Spoon and fork

Weight

    Lose some after birth 1-2 lbs/month 1st 6 months  1 pound/month in 2nd 6 months • • Birth weight: Doubled by 6 month Tripled by 1 yr  20-22 lbs: avg wt of 1 yr old Heredity, feeding habits, and physical activity

Height

   Avg newborn =20 inches Avg 1 year =30 inches Heredity: influences height more than weight

Proportion

    Large: head and abdomen Short/small: arms and legs Head grows rapidly b/c brain development Soft spots allow head to grow and close

Soft Spots

1

st

Year Physical Developments

Sight: Improves Rapidly

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Blurry at first, within week can focus on object 7-10 inches away 1 month, focus on objects 3 feet away

By 3 ½ months, vision almost as good as an adult  Prefer patterns with high contrast and faces  alternating stripes, bull’s eyes  Prefer color red

Depth Perception

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2nd month: recognize that object is three-dimensional, not flat

Hand-Eye Coordination

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Develop hand-eye coordination:

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Move hands and fingers in relation to what is seen

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3-4 months: reach for what they see

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Essential for:

•

Eating

•

Catching a ball

•

Coloring

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Tying shoes

Hearing

 develops before birth  At birth, can tell general direction sound is coming from  Prefer human voice  soothing voice calms  loud voice alarms

Smell and Taste

 Within 10 days can tell mom’s smell  Can distinguish taste by 2 weeks old  show preference for sweet taste  Learn about world by using mouth

Voice

 Cry becomes softer as lungs mature  Physical growth of throat muscles, tongue, lips, teeth, and vocal cords  Tongue and mouth interior change making speech development possible

Teeth

 Begin to develop in 6 th week of pregnancy  Primary teeth begin to appear between 6-7 months of age  Complete set by 20 months (1 year, 8 months)  Teething can be painful process  Can refuse food or drool a lot, increased desire for liquid, coughing, and fever  how to help minor teething pain:    teething biscuits or rubber teething rings rub ice cube on gums to ease pain temporarily teething medication

Motor Skills

 Abilities that depend on use and control of muscles  Mastering motor skills requires intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development  Control head by 1 month  2-3 months can lift their chest  By 9 months crawling- adds opportunity for learning

Activity

 Make a list of 3-5 toys and/or activities that help develop hand-eye coordination for infants up to 1 year old.

 Provide colored illustrations for each toy or activity.

 3-5 colored illustrations

The Developing Brain

Structure of the Brain

 The brain receives and interprets messages from the body, so it is key for intellectual development  The brain is divided into different sections that control specific functions of the body

Parts of the Brain

 Cerebrum- receives information from senses, directs motor activities   Speech, memory, and problem solving Occur in outer layer called cortex  Thalamus- connect spinal cord and cerebrum  Expressions and emotions  Cerebellum- controls muscular coordination and balance

Parts of the Brain continued

 Spinal Cord- transmits info from the body to the brain; vice versa  Brain Stem- controls involuntary activities such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure  Pituitary Gland- secretes hormones that regulate growth, metabolism, and sexual development

How the Brain Works

 Neurons sprout arms called dendrites and axons     Reach toward other neurons, but never touch Tiny gaps called synapses; this is where messages are sent from one neuron to another Neurotransmitters are released by axons to attach to other dendrites The more times the same axon and dendrite connect, the stronger the connection grows and messages are sent more quickly

How the Brain Becomes Organized  The more arms neurons grow and the more links that develop between different neurons, the more paths the brain has  More paths equal more power and flexibility  Organization of brain grow’s on child’s experiences  The group of neurons becomes linked together and controls a particular task

How the Brain Becomes Organized continued  Connections of neurons can be broken  Connections can be lost and others added at the same time  Developments have an impact on the appearance of the brain

Speeding the Brain’s Work

 Myelin makes it easier for axons to transmit signals, it speeds their work  All axons are not coated when a baby is born, only those that control basic instincts  Axons become coated as a child grows  Axons that control motor abilities, vision, and hearing receive coating first

Rules to Build a Brain By

 Keep it simple and natural  Rich environment- lots of loving interaction and talking  Match experiences to the child’s mental capacities  Learn by physical experiences  Practice makes perfect  Repetition

Rules to Build a Brain By continued  Make sure the child is actively involved  Learn by doing  Provide variety, but avoid overloading  Give range of experiences, avoid being overwhelmed  Avoid pushing the child  Learn better if emotionally involved

Is the Brain Only Organized Once?

 1 st year of life is not the only time that the brain can become organized  Children who have suffered brain damage can learn to speak  Older people who have a stroke- where neurons die in one part of the brain- can relearn skills by using another part of the brain

Brainstorming Activity

 Name some activities that promote the growth of connections in the brain of infants.

 Next, draw a picture of the brain using page 261. Label each part of the brain and their function.

Handling and Feeding Infants

Gentle Handling of an Infant

 Never shake a baby  Shaken baby syndrome- when someone severely shakes the baby usually to make them stop crying  Damages the brain      Learning problems Mental retardation Blindness Deafness death

Gentle Handling of an Infant continued  Safe ways to handle a stressful situation with crying:  Put baby down in a safe place and calm down  Ask a friend or relative to care for the baby  Take deep breaths  Talk out your problems

How to Handle a Newborn Safely  Refer to diagram on page 269 of “The Developing Child”

Feeding Methods

Feeding a Baby

 First few weeks, 6-8 times a day  Breastfed babies tend to eat more often  2 nd or 3 rd month, once every 3-4 hours  When a baby reaches 12 pounds, he will sleep through the night because the stomach can hold more food

Feeding Methods

 Breast milk or formula during the 1 st year  No cow’s milk until 1 year

How to Feed with a Bottle

 Hold baby is semi-upright position  Support neck and head with the head held above the stomach  Hold the bottle at an angle  Prevents swallowing air  Never prop a bottle  Choking hazard, tooth decay, digestive problems

Bottle Warming

 Formula does not have to be served warm  Never heat a bottle in the microwave  Can cause hot spots  Heat bottle in a pan of water on the stove  Run under hot water  Use a bottle warmer  Check the temperature by shaking a few drops on your wrist

Sanitation

 Throw left over formula in the bottle away  Wash and sterilize all bottles and bottle parts after each use  Boiling water  Dishwasher  Both eliminate bacteria contamination

Burping a Baby

 Burping helps expel air the baby swallowed  You should burp a baby once during feeding and once after

Types of Formula

 Powder, concentrate, ready to feed (RTF)

Powder

 Mix with water  1 scoop per 2 oz water  Make on needed basis

Concentrate

 Dilute with water  1 can formula with 1 can water  Use within 24 hours

RTF

 No mixing required  More expensive  Use within 24 hours

How much formula?

 55 calories/pound each day  Standard formula: 20 calories per ounce  Example: How many ounces does a 12 pound baby need each day?

Breastfeeding Basics

http://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Breastfeeding.htm

Why Breastfeed?

 Healthy  Free  Bonding  Natural  Builds immune system  Mom burns more calories and loses weight quicker

How long should you breastfeed?

 Recommend 1 st 6 months  First milk- colostrum  High in fat, protein, antibodies  20 minutes on each breast  Feed on demand  5-6 wet diapers  3-4 dirty diapers  http://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Breast Feeding-Positions.htm

Nutrition

 Avoid gassy foods:  Broccoli, green leafy vegetables, spicy foods  Avoid alcohol  “pump and dump”  Mom’s diet becomes baby’s diet

Video Clips and Pictures

 http://www.ameda.com/breastpumping/videos/po pup_video.aspx?id=LatchOnEnglish  http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_vi deo_4_bf_positions.html

 http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_vi deos/18_how_baby_sounds_bfing.html

 http://similac.com/feeding-nutrition/diaper decoder

Breastfeeding vs Breast Pump

http://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Breast-Feeding-Positions.htm

 Pumping is an alternative to breast feeding  Use manual or electric pump  Hand express  Some babies cannot latch on  Mother feels uncomfortable

Storage

 Room temp 6-10 hrs  Refrigerator 5-7 days  Freezer 3-6 months  http://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Stori ng-Breast-Milk.htm

Sanitation

 Clean breasts with warm water and dry towel after feeding  Soap will remove natural oils  Cause drying or cracking  Can use a breast cream

How to stop breastfeeding

 Slowly wean the baby  Milk will eventually dry up  Could experience engorgement  Hand express to relieve discomfort

New Foods

Weaning

 Introduce sippy cup around 6 months  Put fruit juice in a cup, never in a bottle

Introducing New Foods

 Introduce solids around 4-6 months  Cereal first   Mix with breast milk or formula to make it runny Feed with a spoon, never in a bottle  Vegetables, then fruits  1 new food at a time for at least 3 days  Feed with a spoon, never in a bottle  Never feed straight from the jar  8-10 months, start using fingers; eventually move to spoons

What Infants Need to Stay Healthy  Enough calories to provide rapid growth  Protein, iron, vitamins B, C, and D  Food that is easy to digest  Adequate amounts of liquid

Other Infant Care Skills

Bathing a Baby

 Sponge baths for the first two weeks while the navel heals      Soft bath towels Soft washcloth Diaper Mild soap Baby shampoo  Warm room for the bath  Lukewarm water; test with elbow

Bathing a Baby continued

 Support the baby with your hand and begin washing the face  Never rub, the face is very tender  Wash each part of the body one at a time  Creases of skin should be thoroughly dried after washing

Bathing a Baby continued

 Wash the scalp using tear-free baby shampoo once or twice a week  Can just use water other days  Cradle cap- patches of yellowish crusty scales • • Apply baby oil or lanolin at night Gently loosen scales with washcloth or soft hairbrush and shampoo the hair in the morning

Bathing a Baby continued

 Baby powder and lotion are not necessary  Powder safety- apply to your own hands and rub together then rub on baby’s skin  Baby can be bathed in a tub once the navel heals  Never leave a baby unattended in the bath

Dressing a Baby

 Sleeper- one piece stretchy garment with feet  Cotton clothing helps skin breathe  More durable clothes for crawlers  Pants, padded knees, cotton shirts  Pants with snaps for easy diaper change

Dressing a Baby continued

 Shoes are not needed until the baby is walking outside  Best to learn walking barefoot so baby can grip floor with toes  Nonskid socks are good for hard floors  Clothes should be flame retardant  Clothes are sized by age and weight  Babies grow rapid  Avoid loose strings and long ties on clothing

Diapering a Baby

 Cloth diapers- least expensive  Wash separately in hot water  Disposable diapers offer more convenience  Babies need about 12-15 diaper changes a day   Newborn wets several times an hour, but not enough to be changed each time Older babies will let you know

Supplies Needed to Diaper a Baby  Changing table or sturdy surface  Wet washcloth or wipes  Powder

How to Diaper a Baby

 Remove the diaper and clean the baby  Put on a fresh diaper   Slide under bottom Bring diaper up between legs and fasten  Dispose of used supplies  Wash hands  Diaper rash- change more frequently, expose infected area to air as much as possible, special creams

Sleep

 Newborns sleep 12-20 hours a day  By 1 year has 2-3 sleep periods including naps  Preparation for sleep:     Change diaper and clothes, wash face/hands Rock to calm the baby Put the baby in the bed on it’s back Follow the same routine to provide comfort each time