Infants http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfm32_q

BEQM

Infant DevelopmentPhysical Growth

Holding an Infant

Feeding an Infant

Infants From the time a child is born until it turns

one year old, it is considered an infant

During the first month of its life, a baby is referred to as a newborn

Holding a Baby When babies are born, they do not have the

muscle strength required to hold their own heads up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jNShGmf8NY

Holding a Baby You hold a baby across your chest,

supporting his/her head and neck with your wrist and arm.

Practice now holding your baby and supporting the baby’s head and neck

Holding a Baby You should hold your baby firmly but not

tightly Babies want to feel secure and cuddled, but

not smothered. You should keep all clothing and blankets

away from the babies face. Be mindful of any jewelry or scented lotions

you may have on.

Holding a Baby Babies startle easily to quick movements,

so when picking up a baby you should move slowly and quietly.

Baby Startling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9oxmR

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Erik Erikson German born psychologist who developed

the psychosocial development theories for infants thru adolescents

Developed the psychosocial stage of Trust vs. Mistrust in infants

Developmental

Psychosocial Psycho + Social

Trust vs. Mistrust Infants will learn a basic trust for the world during

the first 2 years of life The development of this trust depends on the

consistency of the caregiver during this time period Success in this stage (learning a basic trust for the

world) will lead to a sense of hope

Trust vs. Mistrust Consistently taking care of a child’s needs will lead to a sense

of trust Ex. Picking up a baby and feeding or soothing as it cries

Consistently ignoring a child’s needs will lead to a sense of mistrust Ex. Consistently NOT picking up a crying infant

http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html

Activity Find a group of 3 Begin to use the resource babycenter.com

to answer the 12 top reasons babies cry and appropriate responses as a caregiver.

Remember to sign out your computers

Feeding Infants eat exclusively liquids for the first 6

months of life Infants will drink either breast milk or

synthetic breast milk called formula. Baby’s CANNOT have cow’s milk

Feeding There are many health benefits to a baby

who is breastfed Breastfed babies receive antibodies from the

mother’s body and build up a stronger immune system

Breast milk is naturally antibacterial Breast milk is naturally high in healthy fats that

help in brain development

Feeding For mother’s who choose to formula feed,

they must make each bottle by mixing the formula powder with water

Breast milk can be frozen or refrigerated after it has been used, but formula may not.

Feeding Infants begin eating solid food at 6 months The first food an infant will eat is rice cereal Infants can then begin eating fruits and

vegetables that have been steamed and pureed

Feeding New foods should be introduced once a

week to avoid allergic reactions Foods known to cause food allergies

should be avoided until the baby is at least one year old.

High Allergy Foods Nuts- especially peanuts Dairy (milk protein) Strawberries Citrus Fruits like oranges Shellfish

Infants should not have any of these items until after the first year of life

Feeding In addition, infants should not have honey

until after the first year of life for fear of botulism exposure

Feeding When warming a bottle or baby food, you

should NEVER use the microwave Microwaves create hot spots that can burn an

infant’s mouth.

Feeding When giving an infant a bottle, you should

sit them in a reclining position if you still need to support the neck

After giving a bottle, you will need to burp the baby to get rid of any excess air that was swallowed.

Feeding Activity http://www.youtube.com/watch?

NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=_FvTVWjLiHM

Reflexes Infants have certain reflexes when born Reflexes are reactions that happen

automatically

Breathing Reflex Infants have a reflex to inhale and exhale Infants do not have to be reminded or

taught to breathe

Sucking Reflex Infants have a reflex to suck anything that

touches their lips A newborn’s reflex to suck is very strong If you put your finger into a newborn’s mouth, the

sucking reflex is so strong it may actually be a bit painful

Rooting Reflex Infants have the reflex to “root” for a food

source

Rooting means that the infant will turn toward anything that brushes its cheek in an attempt to find a food source

Physical Growth Newborns are born and need to adjust to

living outside of the womb Newborns have a very short range of distance

where they are able to see clearly Newborns are startled by loud noises or quick

movements Newborns are sensitive to lights and

temperatures

Physical Growth Infants will one and a half in length and

triple in weight from birth to the first year Ex. A baby who is born 8 lbs. and 20” long will

weigh 24 lbs. at a year and measure 30” Most of the weight gain is due to muscle and

organ growth

One month At one month, infants can hold their heads

up for a few seconds at a time They can also turn their heads side to side

when lying on their stomachs

3 months At 3 months, infants can control the

movement of their arms and legs They may be able to push up off their

chests and hold up their heads They can grasp objects in their hands and

drop them

Six months Infants 6-7 months can sit up without help

or support They may begin to crawl or creep on their

knees They may be able to pull themselves up to

a standing position They develop the “pincher grasp”

Around 10 months At around 10 months infants begin to creep,

cruise, or walk They may also scoot on their bottoms, bear

walk, or roll over to get where they want to be

Physical Growth All babies will grow and develop at their

own pace. Babies are put on a scale from 0-100% to

give a general idea of how their size ranks Gross and fine motor skills may develop

differently in each child

Activity Please complete the physical growth

activity for your child