DEVPSYCH UNIT 3-4

• CHARACTERISTICS OF INFANCY

  Infancy

  - period of the newborn

  — the beginning or early period of existence as an individual rather than as a parasite in the mother’s body

  - the transition period between birth and two weeks of life
• Infant 

  - a child in the first period of life

  - an individual who is a minor until reaching the age of legal maturity

  - a young child
• CHARACTERISTICS OF INFANCY

  1. the shortest of all developmental periods

  2. a time of radical adjustment

  3. plateau in development 

  4. a preview of later development

  5. hazardous period
• CONDITIONS INFLUENCING ADJUSTMENTS TO POSTNATAL LIFE

  prenatal environment – a healthy prenatal environment will contribute to good adjustment to postnatal life
• CONDITIONS INFLUENCING ADJUSTMENTS TO POSTNATAL LIFE

  kinds of birth – natural/spontaneous, breech, transverse, instrument, caesarean section
• CONDITIONS INFLUENCING ADJUSTMENTS TO POSTNATAL LIFE

  experiences associated with birth – the ease or difficulty with which the infant establishes respiration
• CONDITIONS INFLUENCING ADJUSTMENTS TO POSTNATAL LIFE

  length of gestation period – prematurers and postmaturers
• CONDITIONS INFLUENCING ADJUSTMENTS TO POSTNATAL LIFE

  parental attitudes – maternal or paternal and favorable or unfavorable
• CONDITIONS INFLUENCING ADJUSTMENTS TO POSTNATAL LIFE

  postnatal care – amount of attention infants receive, amount of stimulation they receive and the degree of confidence their parents have in meeting their needs
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INFANT

  physical development – the height of the infant at birth is around 50 cms. In length.
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INFANT

  activities of the infant – mass and specific activities
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INFANT

  vocalization of the infant – crying and explosive sounds
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INFANT

  sensitivities of the infant – undeveloped sensitivities except for taste and smell
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INFANT

  state of consciousness – one could not logically expect newborn infants to be keenly aware of what goes on around them
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INFANT

  capacity for learning – often incapable of even the simplest form of learning
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INFANT

  emotions of the newborn – emotional reactions may be described as states of pleasantness(relaxing of the body) and unpleasantness(tensing of the body)
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INFANT

   beginnings of personality – individual differences are apparent at birth and are shown in responses to food, in crying, in motor activities and in sleep
• Reflexes

   moro reflex – a startled response to any unexpected noise or strong movement by the exterior part of the body
• Reflexes

   neck righting reflex – evokes rotation of the body simultaneously  with the course of the movement of the head
• Reflexes

  tonic neck reflex – consists of the extension of the arm and the leg on the direction to which the face is turned
• Reflexes

  grasping reflex – involves prehension of the stimulus upon the palm
• Reflexes

  sucking reflex – it is in which the infants tend to suck, is elicited by stroking the lips, especially by the nipple
• Reflexes

  rooting reflex – is initiated by stimulating the cheek or area outside the lips and the infant directs its mouth to such stimulus.
• HAZARDS OF INFANCY

  physical hazards

  • unfavorable prenatal environment
  • difficult and complicated birth
  • multiple birth
  • prematurity
  • postmaturity
  • infant mortality
• HAZARDS OF INFANCY

  psychological hazards

  • traditional beliefs about birth
  • helplessness
  • individuality of the infant
  • developmental lag
  • plateau in development
  • lack of stimulation
  • unfavorable attitude on the part of significant people
• Babyhood

  - occupies first two years of life

  - extends from the end of the second week of life to the end of the second year
• Toddler

  - a baby who has achieved enough body control to be relatively independent
• CHARACTERISTICS OF BABYHOOD

  1. the true foundation age

  2. an age of decreasing dependency

  3. an age of rapid growth and change

  4. an age of increased individuality

  5. the beginning of socialization

  6. the beginning of sex role typing

  7. an appealing age

  8. the beginning of creativity

  9. a hazardous age
• DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONE

  1. learning to walk

  2. having organs of elimination under partial control

  3. learning to take solid foods

  4. getting ready to read

  5. learning to distinguish between right and wrong, and developing a conscience

  6. learning the foundation of speech 

  7. learning sex differences
• Physical development

  first year – increase in weight is greater than the increase in height
• Physical development

  second year – increase in height is greater than the increase in weight
• Physiological function

  sleep pattern – 8 ½ hours at three weeks, 10 hours at twelve weeks
• Physiological function

  eating pattern – from birth to four or five months, sucking and swallowing
• Physiological function

  pattern of elimination – bowel control begins at six months
• Motor development

  1. head region

  eye control – response of the eye to moving object begins at twelve hours after birth
• Motor development

  1. head region

  smiling – first week, reflex smiling; third and fourth month, social smiling

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• Motor development

  1. head region

  head holding – lying on back at five months; sitting position at four and six months
• Motor development

  2. trunk region

  rolling- side to back at two months; back to side at four months; roll over at six months
• Motor development

  2. trunk region

  sitting – sit with support at five months; without support at seven months
• Motor development

  3. arm and hand region

  hands – grasping at three to four months; picking at eight to ten months