Growth and Development of Infant

Growth and Development
(Infancy from age 1 month – 1 year)
 Infant’s grow rapidly, especially during the first 6 months. Weight doubles by age 5 mos. And triples by age 1 year.
 Height normally increases 1 inch (2.5 cm)/ month during the first 6 mos. Then one half that rate during the next 6 mos.
 By age 1 year the infant’s height will have increased by 50% over his birth height.
 Head circumference normally increases by 1.3cm/ month during the 1st 6 mos., then ½ that rate during the next 6 mos.
 By age 1 year head circumference will have increased by 1/3 over the circumference at birth.
 The posterior fontanelle should fuse completely within 6-8 weeks
 The anterior fontanelle will remain open and diamond shape.
 Brain maturation during this period is dramatic.

Visual Acuity
 Visual acuity improves gradually during infancy.
 Convergence and binocular fixation occur by age 3 mos.
 Accomodation to near objects by age 5 mos.
 Fixation on small objects by age 10 mos.
Hearing Acuity
 Hearing which is present before birth can be tested by checking the infant’s response to a loud noise (startle reflex)
 By age 4 mos. An infant can locate sound by turning his head to look and listen.
 By age 10 mos. The child responds to someone speaking his name.
 By age 1 year he listens for recurrence of familiar sounds.

Chest
 During infancy the chest begins to take on more of an adult contour.
 Chest circumference will equal head circuference by age 1 year.

Motor Development
 Is a highly individualized progressive process and is marked by gradual increases in strength.
 During infancy voluntary puposeful movements replace primitive reflexes. As a newborn, the child can momentarily hold his head in midline and turn his head form side to side when prone. He may also roll over accidentally.
 By age 4 mos. He can lift his head and anterior portion of his chest 90° ad can roll from his back to his side.
 By age 6 mos. He can turn at will.
 Sitting follows progressive head control. At age 6 mos, the infant lifts his head when pulled to a sitting position and may be propped up to sit.
 Usually by age 7 mos. He can sit alone
 By age 10 mos. He can manuever froma prone to a sitting position.

Locomotion
 By age 6-7 mos. The infant can bear his weight when placed ina standing position.
 By age 9 mos he usually can pull himself to a standing position while holding onto something for balance.
 By age 11 mos. He usually can creep on his hands and knees and can manuever while standing and holding onto furniture.
 By age 1 year, he usually can walk with someone holding his hand.

Fine Motor Development
 The infant grasps reflexively from birth and observes and plays with his hands by age 4 mos.
 By age5 mos. The grasp reflex is replaced with voluntary control.
 By age 8-10 mos. The infant’s crude princer (clawing) movements develop into neat prehension.
Sleep Pattern
 Usually the infant develops nocturnal sleep pattern by age 3 mos.
 By age 6 mos. He should sleep through the night. The infant will nap depending on his need.
 By age 8-9 mos. He will probably need only 1 or 2 naps during the day
 The infant’s sleeping pattern awake (feeding) pattern and encourage them to plan the infants care to allow for periods of uninterrupted sleep.
 Is stablishedby the spacing
 Of feedings which is related to his hunger
 Rhythm and stomach capacity

Elimination
 Stools of breastfeed infants usually are pasty, whereas stools of formulated infants are frimer in consistency.

Psychosocial Characteristics Developing Trust
 According to Erikson’s theory, the infant acquires a sense of thrust through the ongoing experience of havung his needs.
 By age 6-8 mos. The infant shows signs of anxiety around strangers. During this time he should be approached gently and quietly to allay apprehension. Eye contact is important.

Cognition
 According to Piaget’s sensorimotor phase (in which the infant differentiates himself from objects) by age 4 mos. The infant begins to recognize that a stimulus initiates a chain of events.
 By age 4-8 mos. The infant actions usually repeated and more prolonged.
 By 8 mos.- 1 year the infant uses his abilities as a stepping stone to learn new skills.

Language
 At age 5-6 weeks he is capable of making small, throaty sounds.
 At age 3-4 mos. He gurgles and laughs loud.
 By age 8 mos. He usually can make vowel and consonant sounds.
 By age 9 mos.-10 mos. He usually understands the word “no” and respond to his name.
 By age 1 year, he usually associates meaning to sound.