Part Il Unit 2. Module 12 ~ Physical Development of Infants and Toddiers 145 UNIT 2 Infancy and Toddlerhood — = Brenda B. Corpuz, PhD eS Physical Development of Infants moDU LE and Toddlers ee ae wn baby is God's opinion that life should go on.” 1 ~ Cart Sandburg, *) | American Historian, Poet & ‘Novelist ual OTe 39 | At the end of this Module, you should be able to: | + trace the physical development that you have gone through | as infants and toddlers. + identify factors that enhance / impede the physical development of infants and toddlers | + present your own or others’ research on the physical | development of infants and toddlers | © draw implications of these principles and processes to child | care, education and parenting. ce ain We have just traced the developmental process before birth. We shall continue to trace.the developmental process by following the infant or the baby who is just born up to when he reaches age 2. The period that comes after pre-natal or antenatal stage is infancy which, in turn, is followed by toddlerhood. Infancy and toddlerhood span the first two years of life.The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles 146 Take a learning partner and together study the Figures beloy Look closely at the changes in the sizes of the human body pans « a person grows. “0 - a. a pn 4. we (Adapted from Santrock. J.W. Life-Span Development, 8% Edition, 2002.) é emu oe Guide Questions < 1. What do you notice about the size of the head in relation to — the other parts of the body as a person grows older? M 2. Does physical development begin from the top or below? : from the side to the center? Explain your answer. - = oo pat < Cephalocaudal and Proximodistal Patterns As you learned in Unit 1, Module 1, the cephalocaudal trend is the postnatal growth from conception to 5 months when the head grows more than the body. This cephalocaudal trend of growth that applies to the development of the fetus also applies in the first ce RT ' |Part ll Unit 2 Module 12 ~ Physical Development of infants and Toddlers months after birth, Infants learn to use their upper limbs before their Jower limbs. The same pattern occurs in the head area because the top parts of the head - the eyes and the brain - grow faster than the Jower parts such as the jaw. The proximodistal trend is the pre-natal growth from 5 months to birth when the fetus grows from the inside of the body outwards. This also applies in the first months after birth as shown in the earlier maturation of muscular control of the trunk and arms, followed by that of the hands and fingers. When referring to motor development, the proximodistal trend refers to the development of motor skills from the center of the body outward. Height and Weight e It’s normal for newborn babies to drop 5 to 10 percent of their body weight within a couple of weeks of birth. That is due to the baby’s adjustment to neonatal feeding. Once they adjust to sucking, swallowing and digesting, they grow rap- idly, « Breastfed babies are typically heavier than bottle-fed babies through the first six months. After six months, breastfed ba- bies usually weigh less than bottle-fed babies. In general, an infant’s length increases by about 30 percent in the first five months. e A baby’s weight usually triples during the first year but slows down in the second year of life. e Low percentages are not a cause for alarm as long as infants progress along a natural curve of steady development. Brain Development « Among the most dramatic changes in the brain in the first two years of life are the spreading connections of dendrites to each other. Remember neurons, dendrites, axon, synapses? You discussed them in your General Psychology class. (You may wish to review on them.) Myelination or myelinization, the process by which the axons are covered and insulated by layers of fat cells, begins prena- tally and continues after birth. The process of myelination or myelinization increases the speed at which information travels through the nervous system. * At birth, the newbom’s brain is about 25 percent of its adult 147. " . . » ‘Te Child and Adolescent Leamers and Learning Principles weight. By the second birth adult weight, ey, the brain is about 75% of ig & 2 <= # E a = Positive chan Depressed brain in a depressed 2002). iges in their development (Santrock, 2002), activity has been found in children who grew up environment (Circhetti, 2001, cited by Santrock, Motor development _ Along this aspect of motor development, infants and toddlers begin from reflexes, to ross motor skills and fine motor skills, Reflexes * The newborn has some basic reflexes which are, of course ay. | tomatic, and serve as survival mechanisms before they have the i Opportunity to learn. Many reflexes which are present at birth will generally subside within a few months as the baby grows and matures. There are many different reflexes. Some of the most common Teflexes that babies have are: Sucking Reflex: The sucking reflex is initiated when something touches the roof of an infant’s mouth. Infants have a strong sucking reflex which helps to ensure they can latch unto a bottle or breast. The sucking reflex is very strong in some infants and they may need to suck on a pacifier for comfort. Rooting Reflex: The rooting reflex is most evident when an infant’s cheek is stroked. The baby responds by turning his of her head in the direction of the touch and opening their mouthce aC a 4 % Partil Unit 2 Module 12 Physical Developmant of nants and Todos Gripping Reflex: Babies wi their palm. The strength of can support their entire wei, Curling Reflex: When the i the infant resp lt rasp anything that is placed in this grip is Strong, and most babies ight in their grip. inner sole proceed to pull their limbs back into their bodies, Galant Reflex: The galant reflex is shown middle or lower back is stroked nex! baby will respond by curvin; which is being stroked. when an infant’s t to the spinal cord. The ig his or her body toward the side Tonic Neck Reflex: The tonic neck reflex is demonstrated in infants who are placed on their abdomens, Whichever side the child’s head is facing, the limbs on that side will straighten, while the opposite limbs will curl. (http://www.mamashealth.com/ child/inreflex.asp)Nes ers and Learning Princip escent Leamers 4 The Child and Ado! —— a on ee a pelow. See how you developed in yoy, Study the Fig 150 motor skills. age (months) “’ wll “ =o tr we ae Source: Santrock J.W. Life-Span Development, 8th Edition, 2002. It is always a source of excitement for parents to witness dy matic cl s in the infant’s first year of life. This dramatic mp ~ development is shown in babies unable to even lift their heads » x being able to grab things off the cabinet, to chase the ball only walk away from parent. wot: , Roy Fine Motor Skills Fine motor skills, are skills that involve a refined use off small muscles controlling the hand, fingers, and thumb. The deve ment of these skills allows one to be able to complete tasks sibé writing, drawing, and buttoning. The ability to exhibit fine motor skills involve activites B involve precise eye-hand coordination. The development of react and grasping becomes more refined during the first two years of Initially, infants show only crude shoulder and elbow mover # later they show wrist movements, hand rotation and coordinildt Seae het ah A Boy Partll Unit2 Module 12 ~ Physical Developmen of infants and Toddlers = | 151 What are some research fii perceptions? Can newborns see? * The newborn’s vision is about 10 to 30 times lower than normal adult vision By 6 months of age, vision becomes bet- ter and by the first birthday, the infant's vision approximates sy an adult. (Banks & Salapatek, 1983 cited by Santrock, indings regarding newborns’ visual * Infants look at different thin; ; gs for different lengths of time. In an experiment conducted ‘ by Robert Fantz (1963 cited by Santrock, 2002), it was found out that infants, preferred to look at patterns such as faces and concentric circles rather than at color or brightness. Based on these results, it is likely that “pattern perception has an innate basis” (Santrock, 2002), Among the first few things that babies learn to recognize is { their mother’s face, as mother feeds and nurses them. Can newborns hear? * The sense of hearing in an infant develops much before the birth of the baby. When in the womb, the baby hears his/ her mother’s heartbeats, the grumbling of his/her stomach, the mother’s voice and music. How soothing it must have been for you to listen to your mother’s lullaby. + Infants’ sensory thresholds are somewhat higher than those of adult which means that stimulus must be louder to be heard by a newborn than by an adult. Can newborns differentiate odors? * In an experiment conducted by MacFarlane (1975) “young ' infants who were breastfed showed a clear preference for ; smelling their mother’s breast pad when they were 6 days old. This preference did not show when the babies were only { ; a Fi a two days old. This shows that it requires several days of expense to recognize their mother’s breast pad odor.’ Can newborns feel pain? Do they respond to touch? * They do feel pain. Newborn males show a higher level of cortisol (an indicator of stress) after a circumcision than prior to the surgery (Taddio, et al, 1997 cited by Santrock, 2002). + Babies respond to touch. In the earlier part of this Module on motor development, you learned that a newborn automatically sucks an object placed in his/her mouth, or a touch of the cheek makes the newborn tum his/her head toward the side that was touched in an apparent effort to find something to suck.Ys Awa - s RES /PRCeRE 152 The Child and Adolescent Leamers and Learning Principles Can newboms distinguish the different tastes? * In a study conducted with babies only two hour old, babies made different facial expressions when they tasted sweet, soup and bitter solutions (Rosentein and Oster, 1988, cited by San, trock, 2002). * When saccharin was added to the amniotic fluid of a neg. term fetus, increased swallowing was observed. * This indicates that sensitivity to taste might be present before birth. Do infants relate information through several senses? In short, are infants capable of intermodal perception? + Intermodal perception is the ability to relate, connect and integrate information about two or more sensory modalities such as vision and hearing. + Ina study conducted by Spelke and Owsley (1979), it was found out that as early as at 3 1/2 months old, infants looked more at their mother when they also heard her voice and longer at their father when they also heard his voice. * This capacity for intermodal perception or ability to connect information coming through various modes gets sharpened considerably through experience. et 1. Observe one 1) 0-6 months infant; 2) 7-12 months infant; 3) 13- 18 months infant and 4) 19-24 month old infant. Refer to “What Infants and Toddlers Can Do Physically” based in the Philippines Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) formulated by the Child and Welfare Council now merged with Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), Put a check (W) on those items that you observed the infants/toddler demonstrated.Part Il Unit 2 Module 12 - Physical Development of Infants.and Toddlers A Summary of What Infants and Toddlers Can Do Physically Domain: Physical Health, Well-Being and Motor Development PHYSICAL HEALTH Standards 1: The child demonstrates adequate growth (weight, height, head circumference) Standards 2: The child has adequate sensory systems to participate in daily activities. 0-6 months ‘ Startles to loud sounds Visually follows a moving object from side to side Visually follows a moving object up and down Reacts to pain by crying Withdraws or cries when in contact with something hot Withdraws or reacts with surprise when in contact with something cold Reacts with pleasure/smiles or relaxed expression when he/she tastes something delicious e Reacts by making a face! frownsigrimaces when he/she tastes something he/she does not like 7-12 months e Reacts with pleasure when he/she smells something nice © Reacts by making a face when he/she smelis something foul Standards 3: The child has adequate stamina to participate in daily activities. ‘e Pushes and/or pulls moderately heavy objects (e.g., chairs, large boxes) ¢ Welks without tring easily 13 - 18 months Plays without ting easily, able to keep pace with playmates © Participates actively in games, outdoor play and other exercises 19 - 24 months Sustains physical activity (e.g., dancing, outdoor games, swimming) for at least 3-5 minutes MOTOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT (GROSS MOTOR SKILLS) ‘Standards 1; The child shows control and coordination of body movements involving large muscle groups. ‘© Based on your experience, are these indicators generally observed on and/or performed by a child on the specified age? 0-6 months © Holds head steadily ‘© Moves arms and legs equally to reach at dangling object . . . . Rolis over Bounces when held standing, briefly bearing weight on legs Sits with support Starting fo craw but not yet very good at this 153The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles 7 - 12 months ‘@ Sits alone steadily without support Creeps or crawls with ease as a primary means of moving around Stands without support Stands from a sitting position without any help Squats from a standing position with ease Stands from a standing position with ease Bends over easily without falling Stands from a bent position without faling Walks sideways by holding onto the sides of crib or furniture (cruises) Walks with one hand held 13 - 18 months Walks without support Walks backwards Walks up the stairs with hand held, 2 feet on each step ‘Walks down the stairs with hand held, 2 feet on each step Jumps in place Climbs onto a steady elevated surface (¢.g., bed, adult chair or bangko, etc,) Kicks a ball but with little control of direction Throws a ball but with little control of direction Throws a ball but with little control of speed Runs without tripping or falling Maintains balance (walking on a low, narrow ledge; between 2 lines) without assistance © Moves with music when he hears it © Can move body to imitate familiar animals ‘© Can move body to imitate another person/TV character 19 - 24 months ‘© Walks up the stairs with alterating feet, without help @ Walks down the stairs with alternating feet, without help @ Kicks a bail with control of direction © Throws a balll with control of direction Throws a ball with control of speed MOTOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT (FINE MOTOR SKILLS) Standards 1; The child can control and coordinate hand and finger movements. Based on your experience, are these indicators generally observed on andlor performed by a child on the specified age? 0-6 months Hands open most of the time Brings both hands together towards dangling objectitoy Uses either hand interchangeably to grasp objects Uses all 5 fingers in a raking motion to get fooditoys placed on a flat surface Grasps objects with the same hand most of the time (hand preference emerging) 7-12 monthsPrt ll Unit § Module 12 - Physical Development of Infants and Toddlers Picks up objects with thumb and index fingers ¢ Grasps and transfers objects from hand to hand . aor Objects with the same hand all the time (definite hand preference estab- 13-18 months Puts small objects infout of container e —Unscrews lids @ Unwraps candy/food . a Pencil or crayon with palmar grip (i. all 5 fingers wrapped around pene © Scribbles spontaneously 19 - 24 months Colors with strokes going out ofthe lines PERSONAL CARE AND HYGIENE (ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING) Standards 1: The child participates in basic personal care routines, Based on your experience, are these indicators generally observed on andlor performed by a child on the specified age? 0-6 months Sucks and swallows milk from breast/bottie ‘© Begins to take complementary or semi-solid foods by the end of 6 months © Keeps reasonably stil while being dressed, undress bathed and while diaper is be- ing changed ’ 7-12 months Holds a feeding bottle by himself Helps hold cup for drinking © Chews solid foods well Feeds self with finger foods Scoops with a spoon with spilage 13 - 18 months © Feeds self with assistance Feeds self using fingers to eat ricelviands with spillage Feeds self using spoon with spillage No longer drinks from feeding bottle Drinks from cup unassisted Participates when being dressed by liting arms or raising legs Pulls down gartered short pants/underpants or panties Removes shoes/sandals Informs caregiver of the need to move his bowels so he/she can be brought to comfort room Takes a bath with assistance Brushes teeth after meals with assistance from adult @ Washes and dries hands under adult supervision ‘@ Washes and dries face with the assistance of an adult 19 - 24 months ‘© Gots drink for self unassisted @ Removes loose sando SOCKS 3 Fons careger ch ned owinatosoheshe canbe brought othe comfort . . Coos to the designated pace to urinete but sometimes wets hsher pans 155af Pray \! MEAL SAM + HA Fg ee ee The Child and Adolescent Leamers and Learning Principles =P . forpang'® “norte leo move she bowl but oman ns iy her pants . ard waning oat eo move Hse bor ut eds hap wih ig ‘and washing © Brushes teeth after meals with adult ‘Supervision © Washes and dries face under adult supervision (Source: The Philippines Early Leaming and Development Standards (ELDS) formulated by the Child and Welfare Council "ow merged withthe Ey Childhood Care and Develooney Council) AR Come up with a Sraphic presentation of the milestones of the various aspects of physical development (proximodistal and cephalocaudal patterns, height and wei during infancy and toddlerhood). For details, refer to the Philippine Early Learning and Development Standards. Cite implication/s of each milestone to Parenting.Part ll Unit 2 Module 12 ~ Physical Development of infants and Toddlers 159 of gS 1. Having learned the physical development of infants and toddlers and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, as a future parent or as caregiver of children, reflect on: + what you should do more often for infants and toddlers + what you should refrain from doing to facilitate their growth and development.