Chapter 5: Infancy- Physical Development

by Heather Amick·1 view·Updated Jun 2, 2022

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Everyone. We're going to discuss chapter five
infancy, physical development
and the purpose and perspective of this chapter.
So, this chapter gives you an overview of
The biological growth and physical development from birth to about age two
um patterns and growth in height and weight. Brain um
brain how the brain is going to mature over this time,
Motor development, both gross motor and fine motor.
So make sure you know, the difference
um
and changes in sensation and perception
are examined as well, nutritional needs of infants and toddlers are described
and we're going to have a discussion in the
chapter um on breast feeding versus bottle feeding.
Um So make sure you take a look at that.
And then also a section on sensory um and uh perceptual development.
And then
the author talks about major themes in the book concerning the
relative influence of nature versus nurture which we we've discussed earlier
um in development and the question of the child's role, so active or passive
in the developmental process. So make sure you
read the chapter and think about those things throughout the chapter.
Now, in this lecture,
I'm obviously not going to touch on every single one of those things,
but I'm going to talk about, you know,
a few of them.
So,
the next thing we're going to talk about here,
just put my notes.
Okay, so the first thing we're going to talk about is described patterns,
describing patterns of growth and infancy
um and they focused a sequence. Ok,
so
there's definitely there's definitely a sequence that happens
when you are
developing. Right?
And
this happens over that, They said like this, this two year period.
So the first developmental
process that takes place is um from the head to the lower parts of the body.
So we always say head, head, shoulders, knees and toes.
And when we consider the central role of
the brain which is contained within the skull,
um
this sequence appears quite logical.
The brain regulates a central functions such as heartbeat
and through uh the secretion of hormones.
The brain also regulates the growth and
development of the body and influences basic drives
of hunger and thirst. So the head develops more rapidly than the rest of the body
during
this embryonic stage. And
why this is is because the brain is rapidly growing right
because it needs to control the rest of the body.
Um
And
so
infants can hold their heads up before they gain control of their arms,
their torso and their legs.
They can set up before they can crawl.
And when they first walk
they use their hands
to hold onto a person or object for support.
And this is you know how they get um
the start on
controlling their lower body
and then this um approx
these words listen, they're gonna they're gonna throw you off but
um the next part I think of like proximity,
so the mid part
um and this is going to be like your trunk
um and this is going to be where your central accesses
and this part
is your brain and spinal cord follow a central access right so down through the body.
Um And this is where um
you're going to find like the operations this the central operation of border.
Okay so
in
in the terms of motor development,
infants gain control over their trunk
and their shoulders before they gain control of their arms, hands and fingers.
And
it's just how this this order of coordination
takes place.
And then differentiation is a child's maturity and
their behavior becomes less loose and diffused,
more specific and distinct and
um
and then we
we get into um
they start to differentiate between
responses so they respond to pain.
Um They respond to um if their finger gets you know, stepped on or hurt or whatever.
Um
they start to develop this differentiation
and
we have these patterns, right? So
the most dramatic gain in height and weight occurred
during prenatal development within the span of nine months.
Um And then during the first year, the first year after birth.
So although um not by the standards of prenatal gains,
infants usually double their weight
In about five months and triple it by the first for their first birthday.
Um
So this first year is
they always say, you know,
the first year is the most important because that's when
this brain is really developing to this rapid growth,
this rapid
development is happening.
Um
And then this growth then continues on.
Um
Obviously as
the child begins to grow in age.
Um
and then they become taller
um
In about 18 months. Um
they say that boys are likely to reach half their adult height
at 18 months
maybe.
I mean that may be true, that maybe not true,
just depends on how they're growing there.
Typical.
And
we go through this like change in body proportions
um too.
So whenever you're in this fetal stage and even into this like baby stage,
you have this like really large head
and then hopefully
um
by the time you're you're you're aging into
older ages and adulthood, your your head is more proportionate to your body.
So when we get into um
another thing that's part of this growth
um and really well we'll kind of talk about it um
in this next part a little bit more. But this failure to try this failure to thrive.
So um what this is is when your body is not growing as it should be
and
she's not gaining weight
at a normal, at a normal speed.
Um
And sometimes this will be from refusing, they talk about refusing breast milk.
But I feel like this could happen with any child honestly,
and they'll say that she's failure to thrive.
Um
And
historically researchers have spoken
of biologically failure to thrive versus non
biological basis of failure to thrive.
But the idea is
that in
um they call it organic,
fail to thrive and underlying health problem occurs for the failure to obtain.
And then nonorganic failure to thrive is um
it's some type of psychological root um that the infant is not eating.
So in um infants it doesn't make it doesn't make the normal gains and weights.
And that's basically what failure thrive is. And
regardless of why there is a feeding problem.
And
what normally happens is that
those infants get introduced to solid foods
um
either either later than normal Children or sometimes it does happen quicker.
Um
And
just finding out like why they don't they don't want
to eat and they go into things like cognitive development,
behavioral emotional problems.
I mean, those are probably more on the extreme
end of
the spectrum. Sometimes it's just baby. Just babies do baby things
and you have to, you know, it's very frustrating for women and mothers.
Um And even fathers too, but you just have to figure out what like why,
or sometimes it's the nipple on the bottle or you know,
it's just a million different things.
But
it
they it can be a more serious issue, but I would
say
um just finding out why
and making sure that the child then puts great wayne
puts weight back on.
Um And normally what happens is the child goes on
to like a high protein or high nutritional type of
formula or diet to help that happen.
Um
And then the catch up growth
that happens with failure to thrive. Um
And
um
it can it can happen.
There's there's different
ways.
So genetically predetermined course may many organic
factors including illness and dietary deficiencies.
Um And then the one problem is alleviated by child's rate of growth frequency
um and it's accelerated and returns to its normal course.
Um
And that's typically I think what happens um
I think on your um
you're rare occasions you have
um Children that need like feeding tubes or other things like,
okay,
so the next thing is that we're going to
get into more of this nutritional fueling development.
So describe the nutritional needs of infants focusing
on the pros and the cons of breastfeeding.
I don't get into pros and cons of breastfeeding, but we'll talk about them.
Um There's there's pros and cons of everything
and um
you can talk for hours about
pros and cons of breast feeding. It's
it's a huge,
it's like a huge concert controversial topic. Um
But
nonetheless, the chapter does go into it a little bit more.
So,
overall nutritional status of Children in the United States
is adequate compared to Children in other countries.
Um
So the nutritional status of poor United States Children has been
improved through federal programs such
as food stamps supplemental nutritional programs
that'd be like quick um
programs that you get at school. So like the seats
um
like the Children and adults
child food programs
uh for school lunches. Um
So we do have some things in place to help Children.
Um
politicians are attempting to cut back on food stamps and school lunch programs,
but still compared to other countries where
we're really not doing that badly.
Um But in our country we still have poverty and
we still have um Children that are going hungry,
which in our country,
I mean I personally feel should not be happening um
with all of the luxuries that we have here.
Um
So from birth,
infants should be Fed either breast milk or iron fortified infant formula.
And then not until like 4-6 months you start to introduce solid foods.
And that's just from like that.
And the only reason why that is is because the tongue
hasn't developed its reflexes yet to like sort those solid foods and
um that's swallowing reflex really.
Um
And like just with like Justin and getting the right nutrients and things like that.
Um
So um
again do what your pediatrician says, but
when your mom you'll do what
you want. But that's the
that's kind of what they advise.
Um And the american pediatrics recommends that infants be breastfed,
read through the first year and longer.
Um If possible, and you can have your own beliefs on that situation.
Now, I will tell you I didn't breastfeed either one of my Children.
Um And it just simply I just didn't want to
and um they both they both simply turned out just fine.
Um Now my son had a swallowing disorder. He was born without an epic Gladys.
So until that developed
um he had some eating issues. But
I mean things you will do what you want to do as
a mom and you will do the right things all the time.
I mean whatever you do is pretty much the right thing.
Um
And then they recommend that the first solid food is
usually um cereal and then followed by fruits and vegetables.
Now I will tell you personally I did vegetables and then fruits.
Because if you give your kids fruits, they will ever want to eat vegetables first.
Um
And then you give them like meats and things then later.
And then we talk about the pros and cons of breastfeeding.
So in many developing nations women have no choice,
right? So their only choice is to breastfeed.
And um
here in our nation we have
Formula that's available.
I mean right now we're going through a little bit of a formula crisis um in 2022. But
um typically we have two choices. Um
breast milk today is considered the most
um preferable choice
by health professionals. But that doesn't mean that formula is not
um
just as good of an option