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Infancy: Growth and Development of An Infant
Infancy: Growth and Development of An Infant
by Ellennor F. Abrigo
. . .
Growth and Development of an Infant
weight: doubles by 4-6 mos. (2lbs/mo.), triples by 1 year (1 lbs/from 6th-12th mo.)
average weight: boy--10kg, girl--9.5kg
Developmental Milestones
Childhood is a time of tremendous growth and learning. How very exciting to be a baby...or a
two-year-old... or get on a school bus for the first time. There's so much to know, and we all
come into the world like small waiting sponges, ready to absorb what's around us.
We're all different, too, another of life's little marvels. We're a spectrum of colors with differing
talents, interests, and physical make-ups. So it comes as no surprise that we also develop at
different rates. Some children speed along, practically running before they walk. Others take
their time--or need more time. And still others may ultimately need four wheels to get around.
Parents, siblings, grandparents, daycare providers, teachers, and friends watch eagerly for each
new step and progression in a child's skills. If a skill is not learned "on time," they may worry.
Juana's not sitting up yet, but the baby next door is. Hannah should be talking in full sentences
by now! Frank and Ahmed aren't learning to read as easily as the rest of the class. But what's
"on time?" What's "normal?" Surely "normal" has a range?
Not only do new moms and dads anxiously (and exhaustedly) await the time when baby sleeps
all through the night, but the earliest years are filled with a wonderland of firsts—the first smile,
first laugh, first steps, and first word. When do all these miraculous firsts usually occur?
Excerpted below are just a few of many milestones a typically developing child reaches in the
first year of life.
* wiggle and kick with arms and legs * pull up to a sitting position on her own if
you grasp her hands
* usually quiet down at the sound of a * laugh and squeal with delight
soothing voice or when held
* scream if annoyed
By 6 months of age
By 12 months of age
Motor Skills
Motor Skills
* hold head steady when sitting with your
help
* reach for and grasp objects * drink from a cup with help
* play with his toes * feed herself finger food like raisins
* help hold the bottle during feeding * grasp small objects by using her thumb
and index or forefinger
* explore by mouthing and banging
objects * use his first finger to poke or point
* put small blocks in and take them out of sight (such as a spoon that falls under the
a container table)
* pull himself to stand or take steps * babble, but it sometimes "sounds like"
holding onto furniture talking
Play
Age-appropriate type:
1. mobiles
2. rattles
3. musical box
4. squeeze toys
5. teething rings
6. textured balls
Purposes:
2. to gain coordination
Trust = love (by handling, feeding, talking to, holding =to love and recognize that they are
loved)
Breastmilk
•best food during 12 mos.
•mother with adequate diet, needs no supplements necessary
G. Weaning
> infants can approximate their lips to cup so they can drink effectively @ 9 mos.
H. Self-Feeding
> @ 6 mos. of age--infants are interested in handling spoon and they are beginning
to feed themselves
> coordination has not developed; handle spoon but still spill food
> if no longer hungry, he/she squeezes food or dabs it into hair
5. Sleep--10-12 hours @night and one or more naps during the day
--no pillows to avoid suffocation
--lying on back to prevent SIDS
1. Falls-- raise crib rails, never leave alone on open raised surface, place barriers @ stairs,
restrain in carriage, hish chair, infant seat
2. Suffocation--remove all plastic materials, pillows, string, bibs, etc. fromreach, never leave
alone in bath
3. Burns--check temperature of bath water, keep got liquid, lighted cigarettes, hanging table
cloth out of reach, appliances, fire place, cover electrical outlets with plastic guards and keep
electric wires out of reach
4. Aspiration--remove objects that can fit into mouth, watch closely when offering finger foods,
avoid fuzzy toys
5. Poisoning--ensure that painted surfaces are lead-free, remove plants, medicines and
cleaning fluids out of reach, place tel. no. of poison control center or emergency phone list use
syrup of ipecac prn, give only prescribed medication