Infant Development

Normal Development from birth to year 1

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: average weight of 1 yr old– Heredity, feeding habits, and physical activity

• Gross Motor: Coordinated movements with all of body parts– Involve large muscles of body to walk, kick, sit

upright, throw etc.• Fine Motor: Involve small muscles of body to

enable writing, grasping, fastening clothing, eating etc.

Newborn to Month 1Month Gross motor Fine Motor Speech/Language

Newborn – 1 month Reflexes Hands open and close

Brings hands to mouth

Visual preference 8-12 inches away

Enjoys being in prone

Roots when hungry

Responds to noises with startle

SIGHT

• Blurry at first• Within 1 week can focus 7-10 inches• 1 month focuses objects 3 feet away• By 3.5 months vision almost as good as adult• Prefer patterns with high contrast– Alternating Stripes– Bull’s eyes– Prefer colour red

TASTE AND SMELL

• Within 10 days can tell mom’s smell• Distinguishes taste by 2 weeks• Learn about world using mouth

Photos/video

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr6VhcpaQ4Y

2 monthsMonth Gross Motor Fine Motor Speech/Language

2 Can lift head to 45 degrees when placed on tummy

Social Smile

Orients heads towards sounds

By 2nd month, recognizes object is 3 dimensional (not flat)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HADrEdgCafI

3 MonthsGross Motor Fine Motor Speech/Language

3 May hold light toy when placed in hand

Batting at toys overhead

Hand to mouth constantly

Varied facial expression

Sounds associated with movement of body

Quiets or smiles in response to sound or voice

Coos

4 Months

4 May roll when in hands to knees position

Likes to stand with hands held

Hands open often

Hand to hand play

Grab objects with direct movement of arms

Dissociates eye movement from head movement

Variation of vowel sounds

Constant sound production

Babbles

Recognizes and responds to own name

3-4 months

• Babies begin reaching• Hand-eye coordination• Essential for:– Eating– Catching a ball– Colouring– Tying shoes

What toys and/or activities would be good for infants to develop hand-eye

coordination?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J8r2xO_sTI

5 Months

5 Hands to feet when on back

Rolls from back to front (belly)

Pull to sit

Prop sitting

Banging toys

Reaching in all directions

Transfers objects from hands to mouth

Reaching with both arms

Babbling 3-4 syllables at a time

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugpr_3ULLPE

6 Months

6 Brings feet to mouth

Sitting without upper body support

Bounce when standing

Transfer of objects hand to hand

Explores objects in mouth

Banging, shaking, mouthing

Spoon feeding

May begin cup drinking

Vocalizes for social contact

“Dada”

6 Months

• Introduction of sippy cup• Don’t put juice in a bottle• Solids beginning to b introduced– Cereal first– Vegetables THEN fruits

• 8-10 months babies start using spoons• Want: Food easy to digest, sufficient calorie

and nutrients

7 Months

7 Doesn’t like laying on back

Can achieve belly off ground positions

Rocking on hands and knees

Pivots on tummy

Pulls self to stand with caregiver’s hands

Can use thumb and finger for pincer

Begins finger feeding

Uses both hands for tasks equally

Appropriate gestures for simple commands (bye-bye, no)

Laughs

No used to express dislike

8 Months

8 May pull to kneel at a surface

Pulls to stand using arms more than legs

Visually interested in detail

Bangs toys together

Begins separating sound production from body movement

Explores spatial concepts (in/out, on/off, up/down)

Imitation skills increase both in gestures and familiar sounds

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQmqRIR2YxA

9 Months

9 Creeps on hands and knees for long distances as primary means of locomotion

Climbs up stairs on hands and knees

Holds and drinks from bottle when in sitting

Controlled bite for firm solids

Begins to eat mashed table food

10 months

10 Begins cruising along furniture

Works on different grasps

Manipulation of toys

Uses objects to reach goals

Desire for independence observed in motor and feeding

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzEI8z7Q0RU

11 Months

11 Stands momentarily independently

Squats to receive a toy and returns to standing

Full overhead reach

Combines vision, reach and grasp well

Holds toy with one hand and manipulates with other

12 Months

12 Stands from floor independently

Walks with hands held

May take some steps independently

Enjoys climbing

Points to desired objects with index finger

May have consistent 2-3 words

Uses jargon

Begins goal directed play

Gentle Handling of an Infant

• Never shake a baby• Shaken Baby Syndrome – severely shaking

baby to make them stop crying– Damages the brain– Learning problems– Mental retardation– Blindness– Deafness– Death

Sources

• http://www.slideshare.net/jwattenberg/Normal-Development-in-the-First-Year-power-point