Chapter 4 Infancy from the Newborn Baby to the Toddler Newborn States Deep Sleep o The deep also known as non rapid eye movement NREM sleep state of full rest AKA sleeping like a baby o Neonates spend about 8 hours in deep sleep o Is characterized by low muscle tone and motor activity closed eyelids still eyes and regular breathing The Mysterious Tragedy of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome o SIDS is the leading cause of infant mortality between 1 week and 12 months in industrialized nations o Its occurrence tends to peak between 2 and 4 months of age o How Can SIDS be Lessened Quit smoking Sleep Patterns Putting babies to sleep on their backs Removing bedclothes Pacifiers o During the first 2 years the organization of sleep and wakefulness changes Result of brain growth o Sleep moves to an adult like night day schedule during the first year o Sleep needs decline from 18 to 12 hours a day by age 2 o Naptime Most 6 9 month olds take 2 daytime naps Around 18 months they usually take one nap which is longer and later in the day Around 3 5 years old naps go bye bye o Nighttime Changing sleep arousal pattern due to brain development Environment influences too Western nations parents try to get their baby to sleep through the night around 4 months of age Feed solid foods at night Put in a separate quiet room with the lights off At odds with infants neurological development Not until middle of first year is melatonin secreted in brain more at night then during day Melatonin brain hormone that promotes drowsiness At end of 1st year REM sleep declines REM often prompts waking o FINALLY sleep thru the night Even after infants sleep through the night they continue to wake occasionally Temporary periods of disrupted sleep Ex Mobility crawl walk around 6 or 7 months Ex Separation anxiety Night wakings increase between one and a half and 2 years and then decline Make It Real Co Sleeping o Some families practice co sleeping in which the family shares a bed o Why might a family do this More comfort for the child More time with child for working parents o Do you think it could benefit or harm an infant Child sleeps easier Feedings are easier Increased emotional attachment Could potentially be harmful because We don t know how to get babies out of bed Solutions People may not get good sleep for fear of rolling onto the child Child may become dependent on sleeping with parents Loss of intimacy Neutral space Cribs for side of bed Bassinet o Research on Co Sleeping CULTURE influences the decision it is more common in Eastern culture Cosleeping is the norm for 90 of the world s population It is NOT harmful to an infant under normal circumstances e g if adult is not drunk It may increase dependence on parents o Cultural Variations in Infant Sleeping Arrangements Cultural values of collectivism vs individualism strongly influence infant sleeping arrangements Cosleeping is increasing in North America perhaps because more mothers are breastfeeding Physical Growth During Infancy o Body Growth Gain 50 in height from birth to age 1 75 by age 2 Grow in spurts Gain baby fat until about 9 months then get slimmer Girls slightly shorter and lighter than boys o Growth Trends Cephalocaudal head to tail Lower part of the body grows later than the head Proximodistal near to far From the center of the body outwards Head trunk arms legs hands feet o Skeletal Age Measure body s bone development X rays show if growth plates still exist Assess physical maturity via skeletal age o Epiphyses of the bone Epiphyses growth centers in the bone o The Skull at birth Cartilage cells produced at the growth plates of the epiphyses throughout childhood Eventually thin and disappear and harden into bone After that growing stops Because of large increases in brain size skull growth is especially rapid during the first two years At birth the bones of the skull are separated by 6 gaps called fontanels which gradually shrink and close Motor Development o Follows an organized sequence o Motor skills develop according to two principles Cephalocaudal e g head lift before sit stand walk Proximal distal e g sucking before kicking o Large individual differences in rate of motor progress o Independence of systems Different parts of the body develop along different time scales Recall Figure 4 3 Differential Growth Rates in the Human Body o Nervous system 0 2 years o Sexual development after puberty o Height 0 2 years and again after puberty o The Sequence of Motor Development Gross motor development crawling standing walking Fine motor development reaching grasping writing Gross Motor Accomplishments pretty highly canalized About 6 months sit up by themselves By 8 10 months begin crawling By 1 year starting to walk o Motor development influenced by parental expectations and childrearing practices o Motor Milestones of the First Two Years Lifting Head On average infants can lift their head by about 1 2 months This motor milestone occurs early often in combination with the reflexive movements of the arms and legs that are observed when infants lie on their stomach As control of head and neck muscles increases the reflexive movement of the legs decreases At 2 or 3 months most infants can roll over without assistance Most infants sit without support around 5 7 months This child s ability to sit alone gives her some independence in exploring her world at least the part of it she can reach Can also manipulate things with both hands Rolling Over Sitting Up Crawling By 5 11 months usually around 7 months most children can lift their bellies off the floor and crawl on their hands and knees or hands and feet Cruising Walking Kicking Between 7 and 9 months old most infants can pull themselves upright Between 9 and 10 months they can cruise holding onto a person s hand or onto furniture The time of walking varies with about 50 of all children walking well by 12 months and 90 percent walking well by 14 months In their first months of walking infants spread their legs wide to maintain balance producing the characteristic toddling movement On average children can kick a ball which requires the ability to maintain balance while standing on one leg between 20 and 22 months Motor Skills as Dynamic Systems o Increasingly complex systems of action with each skill o 4 factors in each new skill CNS development 2 sides of the brain connect leading to more coordination Body s movement capacity proportion muscle development Child s goals does the child want to move around