Chapter 5: Infant Physical Development

lifting

• 2 months: raise head and chest

• 3-6 months: can hold their heads up

grasping

• 3-4 months: can loosely grab things (ulnar grasp)

• 4-6 months: able to transfer objects from hand to hand even with loose grip; grip can strengthen

• 5-6 months: raking (move object with palm like rolling a ball on the table)

• 5-11 months: trying to grasp towards a target

• 9-12 months: pincer grasp (coordination of thumb, grasping with thumb too)

locomotion

• 6 months: able to roll (safe sleeping practices very important in this stage (no blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc.))

• 7 months: start to be able to sit up on their own

• 8-9 months: start creeping (scooting with their arms and on stomach without much use of legs)

• 9-10 months: start to stand (hold onto object and stand up) and eventually start to crawl

• 10-11 months: cruising (walking with support like chairs)

• 12-15 months: start to be able to walk

hearing

• 1 month: distinguishing sounds

• 3-4 months: distinguish parent’s voice

visual

• 2 months: attention to inner facial features

• 6 months: visual acuity 20/50

• 6-9 months: depth perception develops

baby human: face recognition

• A newborn's clearest view is from 6 inches away. This is an easy distance to communicate love between mother and child, suggesting nature prepares babies from birth to
  pay attention to the human face because it is critical for their survival.

• They pay the most attention to the human face.

• At 10 days old, infants are attracted to the areas of contrast (light and shadow) created by facial features, such as the eyes, mouth, and hairline, rather than the actual facial features themselves.

• Between 2-6 weeks, the baby's higher brain centers,
  which are sensitive to visual stimuli, take over. This shift directs the baby's gaze and begins to give actual meaning to what they see.

progression of feeding

• From birth, infants should be fed either breast milk or an iron-fortified infant formula.

  • AAP recommends breast feeding through 1st year, but after 6 months solely breast feeding is less beneficial

• 4-6 months: iron-fortified infant cereal, number 1 fruits and vegetables

• 6-8 months: puréed or mashed fruits and vegetables and meats, number 2 foods

• 7-10 months: begin feeding themselves with finger foods, such as dry cereal or teething biscuits

• 8-12 months: most infants are ready for soft or cooked table foods

• 1-2 years: feed themselves and enjoy the same foods as the rest of the family

breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding

• breastfeeding

  • associated with lower rates of obesity

  • breast milk contains the mother’s antibodies

  • reduces the risk of early breast cancer and ovarian cancer, and it builds the strength of bones in the mother

  • barriers to breastfeeding include fear of pain, embarrassment by public exposure, and unease with the act itself

• bottle feeding: enables both parents to share in feeding around the clock

environmental factors impacting physical development

• food insecurity (undernourishment is associated with crawling and walking delays along with lower immune support)

• childhood poverty (associated with delays in multiple dimensions of development)

• parental leave