Week 4: Infants

physical changes

physical changes

In the 1st year, infants grow 25-30cm and triple their body weight

synaptogenesis

(creation of synapses) - is followed by a period of synaptic pruning to make the nervous system more efficient

• continues from the prenatal period forming thousands of new connections during infancy and toddlerhood. synaptic blooming = rapid neural growth

Neuroplasticity

the brain's ability to reorganize neural pathways and connections

Myelinization

myelin gradually covers individual axons and electrically insulates them from one another

• improving conductivity

Adaptive reflexes

sucking

• helps newborns survive some adaptive reflexes persist throughout life

Primitive reflexes

controlled by primitive parts of the brain these reflexes disappear by about 6 months of age

rooting reflex

a soft touch on the cheek will cause an infant to turn toward the touch and open the mouth

• disappears by about 3 months

Babinski reflex

stroking the sole of the foot causes the infants toes to fan out and up - disappears by about 12 months

Moro reflex

sudden noise or loss of support causes the infant to arch the back and throw the arms and legs out and then bring them back in

• disappears after 4-5 months

• hypothesized that this reflex is to help the mother cling to the baby

Behavioural states

Consciousness patterns of sleep/wakefulness stabilize with age neonates sleep 80% of the time by 8 weeks, babies will begin to sleep through the night by 6 months, babies are sleeping about 14 hours a day (babies don't actually sleep tho)

Cries

basic cry signals hunger - rhythmic pattern anger cry - louder and more intense pain cry - very abrupt onset

prompt attention to crying in the first three months leads to less crying later

• promotes trust

Motor development: 1 month

locomotor - stepping reflex (one place to another) non-locomotor - lifts head slightly and follows objects with eyes manipulative - holds object if place in hand

Motor development: 2-3 months

locomotor - non-locomotor. - lifts head up to 90 degrees when lying on stomach manipulative. - begins to swipe at objects in sight

Motor development: 4-6 months

locomotor - rolls over, sits with support, moves on hands and knees (creeps) non-locomotor - holds head erect while in sitting position manipulative - reaches for and grasps objects

Motor development: 7-9 months

locomotor - sits without support, crawls non locomotor - manipulative - transfers objects from one hand to another

Motor development: 10-12 months

locomotor - pulls self up (grasps furniture) and can then walk alone non locomotor - squats, stoops, plays patty cake manipulative - shows some signs of hand preference, grasps a spoon but has poor aim when moving to mouth

Motor development: 13-18 months

locomotor - walks backwards, sideways, runs non locomotor - rolls ball, claps manipulative - stacks two blocks and puts objects into small container and dumps them out

Motor development: 19-24 months

locomotor - walks up and down stairs (2 feet per step) non locomotor - jumps with 2 feet manipulative - can spoon feed self, stacks 4-10 blocks

Universal

virtually all children follow the same sequence of motor development - developmentally delayed children just follow at a slower pace

Girls

• Ahead in motor skills in infancy

• specifically manipulative

Boys

• have more development delays

• more active

Breast Milk is THE BEST

• Breastmilk is the best form of infant nutrition; exclusive breastfeeding should be done for the first 4-6 months with the WHO recommending breastfeeding until the 2 years of age

• breastfed babies are less likely to suffer from common illnesses as it stimulates better immune functioning

• mother-infant social interactions appear to be identical if formula-fed babies are given the same maternal attention

Stigma - breast milk

while it is the optimal solution, not all mothers can or want to breastfeed so... fed is best

Breastfeeding: natural vs pain

natural:

• the narrative around breastfeeding is that it is natural and it does not hurt Pain:

• the reality, which researchers are trying to encourage health care professionals to acknowledge - is that it can be painful

• typically for the first two weeks with the pain then subsiding

Infant Mortality

Declining Canada's infant mortality rate has declined from 134/1000 in 1901 to 5/1000 in 2006

SIDS

SIDS is the leading cause of death between 29 days and 1 year of age

To reduce the risk of SIDS:

• back to bed campaign,

• no bedding,

• sleeping on hard surfaces,

• sleep near parents for the first 6 months,

• smoke free environment

Co-sleeping

North America:

• frowned upon - risk factor for SIDS

Asia, Europe, etc:

• the normative practice (with many cultures continuing this practice until 3 years of age)

Sensory - Vision/ Hearing

poor at first but develops rapidly newborns hear nearly as well as adults- infants can locate the direction of some sounds at birth

Touch/ Motion

best developed of all senses

Smell/Taste

smell has nearly unlimited variations newborns react different to each basic taste at birth

Perceptual skills - looking + listening

looking

• babies scan for dark/light contrasts (faces are not uniquely interesting to infants - but they prefer their mothers face)

listening

• by 1 month they can discriminate between single syllables, at 6 months two syllable words, and 3 months they recognize the sound regardless of who says it

Perceptual Skills

at 6 months infants can distinguish sound contrasts in any language, by 1 year old, this ability fades and is limited to the sound contrast of their native language

cognitive skill changes over the first 2 years are highly _________ across environments

Consistent

Piaget

• Sensorimotor: infants use information from their sense and motor actions to learn about the world

by 18-24 months: infant has the beginnings of mental representation

Sensorimotor: 0-1 month

Reflexes

Sensorimotor: 1-4 months

primary circular reactions

• accommodation of basic schemes as baby practices them:

• grasping,

• listening,

• looking

• beginning of coordination of schemes from different senses

baby still has not linked body actions to results outside of this body

Sensorimotor: 4-8 months

secondary circular reactions

• baby becomes more aware of events outside his own body

• imitation may occur -beginning to understand of object performance

Sensorimotor: 8-12 months

coordination of secondary schemes intentional means

• end behaviour

• baby goes after what they are interested in and may combine two schemes (i.e. move pillow to reach you)

Sensorimotor: 12-18 months

tertiary circular reactions- 'experimentation' begins

• infant tries new ways of playing with or manipulating objects

Sensorimotor: 18 - 24 months

beginning of mental representation development of the use of symbols to represent object or events

• the child understands the symbol is separate from the object

Language: 2-3 months

• cooing, responds with smiles or cooing when spoken to

Language: 4-5 months

• makes various vowel and consonant sounds with cooing

Language: 6 months

babbles, utters phonemes of all languages

Language: 8-9 months

• focuses on phonemes, rhythm, and intonation

• has receptive vocabulary of 20-30 words

Language: 12 months

expressive language emerges, says single words

Language: 12-18 months

uses word-gesture combinations combined with variations in intonation (holophrases- word and gesture to form thought)

Language: 18-20 months

uses two-word sentences (telegraphic speech)- has expressive vocabulary of 100-200 words

Attachment

Emotional development tied to parent-infant relationship theory:

• view that the ability and need to form an attachment relationship early in life is a genetic characteristic of all humans

Secure

mothers are sensitive to infants' needs and infants are less fussy and enjoy physical contact

Avoidant

infant avoids contact with the parent and shows no preference for the parent over other people

Ambivalent

little exploratory behaviour, is greatly upset when separated from the parent, and is not reassured by the parent's return or comfort efforts

Disorganized/ Disorientated

confused or apprehensive infant who shows contradictory behaviour such as moving toward parent while looking away

attachment characteristics

• emotional responsiveness - parents engage with kids

• marital status/ SES (higher social economic status)

• mental health

Consequences of attachment

• more sociable,

• more positive in behaviour towards friends and siblings,

• less clinging and dependent on teachers,

• less aggressive and disruptive,

• more EMPATHETIC and emotionally mature in interactions in school and other settings outside the home

Empathy vs sympathy

empathy

• letting the person feel the feelings

• empathizing

Sympathy

• 'at least'

• make feel better

• try and help and say the 'right' thing

Personality vs temperament

personality:

• a pattern of responding to people and objects in the environment

Temperament:

• inborn predispositions such as activity level that form the foundations of personality

The big 5 personality

• Neuroticism

• extrovert/ introvert

• consciousness

• openness

• agreeableness

Temperament Dimensions

• activity level (vigorous vs passive activity)

• approach/positive emotionality (move toward new activities - positive emotion)

• inhibition (respond with fear or withdrawal to new situations - precursor to shyness)

• negative emotionality (respond with anger, fussing, or irritability - low threshold for frustration)

• effortful control/task persistence (stay focused and manage attention and effort)

Stable temperament

temperament in infancy persists through childhood

• will change over time

Heredity

identical twins are more alike in temperament than fraternal twins

gender identity

deeply felt identity

• not only female/ male

colostrum

'liquid gold"

• the first breast milk produced during pregnancy and just after birth

• rich in nutrients and antibodies