Growth & Devpt - During age 2-6 mo

Growth & Devpt - During age 2-6 mo

voluntary (social) smiles
increasing eye contact
infant's range of motor and social control and cognitive engagement increases

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.

Rate of growth = 20 g/day

Disappearance of the asymmetric tonic neck reflex = infants can begin to examine objects in the midline and handle them with both hands.

Fading of grasp reflex allows baby to hold objects and voluntarily release.

Abnormal or no movements at this age = look for later neurologic abnormalities.

Trunk flexion makes rolling possible. Head control improves
maturation of the visual system allows better vision.
Total sleep requirements = 14 hr/24 hr, with about 9 hr at night - sleeps for a 6hr at a stretch by age 6 mo
sleep electroencephalogram shows - rapid eye movement (REM) and four stages of non-REM sleep.

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT.

1.      During feeding become distracted. In the mother's arms, the infant may turn around, looks outward.

2.      explore their own bodies

3.      staring intently at their hands

4.      vocalizing

5.      blowing bubbles

6.      touches own ears, cheeks, and genitals

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION.

Emotions which appear are

1.      anger               

2.      joy                  

3.      interest            

4.      fear                 

5.      disgust             

6.      surprise                       
When face to face with a adult, - intensity of smiling, eye widening, and lip puckering rises and falls.
If parent is depressed – baby shows sadness and a loss of energy.

 

IMPLICATIONS FOR PARENTS AND PEDIATRICIANS.

For parents, this is a happy period. They can talk and listen to the child. 4-mo-old is happy and coos. If this does not happen-  causes such as social stress, family dysfunction, parental mental illness, or problems in the infant-parent relationship should be sought.

Development at each age

At 12 Wk
Prone	Lifts head and chest arms extended head above plane of body on ventral suspension
Supine	Tonic neck posture reaches toward and misses objects waves at toy
Sitting	Head lag less on pull to sitting position head control with bobbing motion back rounded
Reflex	Moro response absent
Social	Likes human face listens to music says "aah, ngah"
At 16 Wk
Prone	Lifts head and chest head in line with body legs extended
Supine	Symmetric posture- both hands and legs kept in symmetrical positions hands reach midline reaches and grasps objects and brings them to mouth
Sitting	No head lag on pull to sitting position head steady enjoys sitting with support
Standing	When held erect, pushes with feet
Adaptive	Sees pellet, cannot pick it ( ie- no pincer grasp)
Social	Laughs out loud displeasure if social contact is broken – a person goes away. excited at sight of food