Growth & Devpt - During age 0-2 months of Life

Growth & Devpt - During age 0-2 mo

During age 0-2 mo feeding and sleep-wake cycle develops. Interactions beteween parent and infant helps in cognitive and emotional development.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.

A newborn's weight may decrease 10% below birthweight in the 1st wk as a result of excretion of excess extravascular fluid and poor intake.
Intake improves as

1.      colostrum is replaced by higher-fat milk,

2.      infants learn to latch on and suck more efficiently

3.      mothers become more comfortable with feeding techniques.

Infants should regain or exceed birthweight by 2 wk of age and grow at 30 g/day during the 1st mo.
Limb movements – writhing body and lower limbs, - purposeless hand opening and closing.
Smiling occurs involuntarily.
eye gaze, head turning, and sucking are voluntary - turning towards the mother's voice

sleep and wakefulness are evenly distributed throughout the 24 hr
If mother is stimulating and talking baby sleeps better. During night baby wakes two or three times to feed; some sleep 6 hr or more.
Crying occurs in response to stimuli that may be obvious (a soiled diaper) but are often obscure.
Crying normally peaks at about 6 wk of age, when healthy infants cry up to 3 hr/day, then decreases to 1 hr or less by 3 mo.

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT.

1.      visual                ]

2.      tactile               ]

3.      olfactory           ]

4.      auditory            ]           all these stimuli

Play an important part in the development of cognition

Baby can recognize facial expressions (smiles), differentiate - Nipple of mother and bottle.

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

Availability of a trusted adult creates feeling of secure attachment. Infants who are picked up and held in response to distress -- cry less at 1 yr and show less aggressive behavior at 2 yr.
Hunger generates tension; - infant cries, the parent arrives gives breast, and the tension decreases. Infants fed "on demand" experience this link between their distress, the arrival of the parent, and the relief from hunger.
Infants given food at the parents' convenience, with neither attention to the infant's hunger cry nor a schedule, may not experience reduction of tension. These infants show increased irritability ,spitting, diarrhea, poor weight gain & later behavioral problems.

Clinical importance

Mild postpartum depression that affects some 50% of mothers ("baby blues"). If sad, anxious feelings persist, the possibility of true postpartum depression is to be considered.

Growth - During age 0-12 years

Weight	Kilograms
At birth	3.25
3-12 mo
1-6 yr	age (yr) × 2 + 8
7-12 yr
Height	Centimeters
At birth	50
At 1 yr	75
2-12 yr	age (yr) × 6 + 77

Developmentt - During age 0-2 months age

Milestone	Average Age of Attainment (mo)	Developmental Implications
1. Gross Motor
Head steady in sitting	2	Allows more visual interaction
2. Fine Motor
Nil
3. Social and Language
Smiles in response to face, voice	1.5	Child more active social participant
4. Cognitive
Stares momentarily at spot where object disappeared (e.g., yarn ball dropped)	2	Lack of object permanence (out of sight, out of mind)

Development at each age

	0 – 4 Weeks
Prone:	Lies in flexed attitude turns head from side to side head lags on ventral suspension
Supine:	Generally flexed
Visual:	Looks st face or light "doll's-eye" movement of eyes on turning of the body
Reflex:	Moro response present stepping and placing reflexes grasp reflex active
Social:	prefers for human face
	At 4 Wk
Prone:	Legs more extended holds chin up turns head head lifted momentarily to plane of body on ventral suspension
Supine:	Tonic neck posture Relaxed head lags on pull to sitting position
Visual:	Watches person follows moving object
Social:	Body movements - in social contact beginning to smile
	At 8 Wk
Prone:	Raises head slightly farther head sustained in plane of body on ventral suspension
Supine:	Tonic neck posture predominates head lags on pull to sitting position
Visual:	Follows moving object 180 degrees
Social:	Smiles on social contact; listens to voice and coos