Transcript Growth and Development of Infants

Growth and
Development of Infants
Baby Pictures

Baby Polar Bear

Adult Polar Bear
Baby Pictures

Puppy

Adult Dog
Patterns of Physical Development

Head to toe
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
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Spoon and fork

Weight
Lose some after birth
1-2 lbs/month 1st 6 months
1 pound/month in 2nd 6 months
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Birth weight:

•
•
Doubled by 6 month
Tripled by 1 yr
20-22 lbs: avg wt of 1 yr old
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Heredity, feeding habits, and physical
activity
Height
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Avg newborn =20 inches
Avg 1 year =30 inches
Heredity: influences height more than
weight
Proportion
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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
st
1
Year Physical
Developments
Sight: Improves Rapidly

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
2nd
month: recognize that
object is three-dimensional,
not flat
Hand-Eye Coordination

Develop hand-eye coordination:
 Move hands and fingers in relation to what
is seen
 3-4 months: reach for what they see
 Essential for:
• Eating
• Catching a ball
• Coloring
• 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

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Begin to develop in 6th 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
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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
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
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
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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

Give range of experiences, avoid being
overwhelmed
 Avoid

variety, but avoid overloading
pushing the child
Learn better if emotionally involved
Is the Brain Only Organized Once?
 1st
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
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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:
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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
 2nd or 3rd 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 1st 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

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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 1st 6 months
 First milk- colostrum
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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/BreastFeeding-Positions.htm
Nutrition
 Avoid
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Broccoli, green leafy vegetables, spicy foods
 Avoid

gassy foods:
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
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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
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Introduce solids around 4-6 months
 Cereal first
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Vegetables, then fruits
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Mix with breast milk or formula to make it runny
Feed with a spoon, never in a bottle
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
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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
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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
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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
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Shoes are not needed until the baby is walking
outside

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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

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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

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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
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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
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sleep 12-20 hours a day
By 1 year has 2-3 sleep periods including
naps
 Preparation
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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