Growth During 1st Year

Weight

- Babies generally triple their birth weight in the first year

- Slight weight loss after birth then a steady gain.- 1st 6 mths - 1-2 lbs/mth.- next 6 mths 1 lb/mth

- Average 1 year old weighs between 20-22lbs

Length / Height

- average newborn - 51 cm

- steady growth in the first year a result of rapid bone growth

- average 1 year old – 76 cm

- heredity has more influence on height than weight

Proportion

• The size relationship between different body parts.

• Compared to the rest of the body, a baby’s head and abdomen are large and the legs and arms are short and small.

• A babies head grow rapidly during the first year to accommodate the swiftly developing brain

• More than half of the total growth of the head occurs during this time

• Fontanels allow the head to grow, they later close up permanently

Development During 1st Year

Vision

• Blurry at birth

• 1 month – can focus

• 6 months – eyesight reaches clarity and sharpness of an adult

Depth Perception

• The ability to recognize 3 dimensional objects

• 2nd month

• Allows children to track

movement and reach for

objects by judging distance

Hearing

• Develops before birth.• At birth can recognize the

direction sound comes from• Soothing voice will calm

them• Startled by loud or angry

voices• 7 mths – can identify voices• Language development

relies on hearing

Smell and Taste

• Newborns respond to odors• At 10 days baby can notice smell of mom• At 2 weeks baby can taste differences• At an early age babies show a preference for sweet

Voice

• Newborn’s cry is shrill, but becomes softer as their lungs mature.

• Change results from the physical growth of the throat muscles, tongue, lips, teeth and vocal cords

• Babies prepare for speech by making word related sounds

Teeth

• Development of baby teeth begin 6th week of pregnancy.

• “Primary teeth” or baby teeth appear at 6-7 months.

• Teething is normal but painful.

• Some babies refuse food and drool a lot.

• Lasts up to two years.

• 20 primary teeth.

Tooth Care• Infant’s mouth should be

cleaned with a damp piece of gauze after each feeding.

Motor Skills

• The abilities that depend on the use and control of muscles.

• Two basic types of motor skills– Gross motor skills

• Large muscles – legs, shoulders• Large movements – jumping and running

– Fine motor skills• Smaller muscles – fingers• Small precise movements – using scissors

• At birth, babies have little or no control over their muscles

• Most movements are reflexes

Reflexes• Newborns are born with reflexes to help them

survive their first several weeks– Sucking reflex – stimulated when something is put

in their mouth– Rooting reflex – stroking the babies cheek– Others

• Shutting eyes under bright lights• Grabbing fingers• Stepping motion when feet touch the floor

• Most go away when babies learn to control their muscles

Hand Eye Co-ordination

• The ability to move the hands and fingers precisely in relation to what is seen.

• Very poor in newborns but develops as vision and motor skills improve

• At 3 or 4 months, babies can reach, grab and put things in their mouth.