Question

D 2. Explain the different types of infant development and give examples of how this might affect an infant's nutritional needs and feeding abilities at each stage. Include the concept of critical periods.

Answer 1

During first year baby will grow dramatically in five areas, they are physical, cognitive, emotional, social, language and sensory and motor skills.

physical development

• By 4months babies grow about 3inches and gain an average of 4.5 pound.
• Head circumference increases between.25 and .5 inches a month during first year.
• Weight doubles at six months.
• By first year weight has tripled.

cognitive developdevelopment

• Ability to interact with people and environment increases.
• 1-2months of age babirb will turn their head towards the object and people.
• At 3 months ability to anticipate familiar things and to react them.
• 4rth month vision will improve and able to link the senses of sight, taste, touch, hearing.
• Able to identify the object or person.
• 6-9months babies begin to recognise familiar sights, sound and touches.
• 9- 12 months of age babies will start watching others and exploring events.

Emotional and social development

• At one month bond between parents and baby increases.
• By 2 months starts social smile, making eye contact, and moving arms.
• 2-4 months baby will get attached to familiar care givers.
• 4-6 months, babies become more social starts to express emotions like anger, happiness.
• 6-9 months babies will start those expressions to communicate caregivers and arouse anxiety at their absence.
• 9-12 months- separation anxiety and strainger anxiety increases.

Language development

• around first month infant will produce soft voice.
• 3-6months begins to use certain cries to express different needs like hungry or sleepiness.
• By 2 months, babies progress to watch speaking and mouth and responds.
• At 5 months babies progress to repeating sounds for attention and expression.
• By6 months infants will begin to imitate sounds and rhythms of speech.
• Able to recognise the word "no", "bye- bye".
• Around the first year babies starts to say the words 'mamma' and 'dada'.

sensory and motor development

• first month babies are able to lift their head for a short time while lying on the abdomen.
• Startle reflexes present fade by six months.
• 3months better control of their head. And hold fingers of others.
• Starts to roll over around four months.
• 6-9 months leg trunk cordinaticoo have improved, allowing babies to sit and crawl.
• By 7 months babies eyes have developed.
• Before 1 year starts to grab small things with their thumb and index finger, also shows tendency to put them in mouth.

Nutritional needs

During the first six months new born baby will only need breast milk or formula feed for proper nutrition. When your baby is 6 month old start transitioning baby to solid foods with pureed foods and cereals.

Major nutritional requirements during infancy are energy, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fat, carbohydrates and fluids.

Critical period

first few years of life especially the time during which language develop readily.