Just like every flower has a different sight and smell similarly every baby is born with different abilities and acheive their milestones of growth and development sooner or later.It involves physical as well as social development of the babies.
In this blog,we will discuss the various development that a baby goes through in a year after arriving into the world.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
●Birth weight and length: These are the two important indicators for the newborn babies as it determines their health and well being.
▪︎ Average birth weight of a newborn baby is 3.2-3.6 kilograms,however normal range is 2.5-4.5 kilograms. Lower and Higher birth weights are 2.5 kg and 4 kg respectively.
▪︎ Average length of the baby at the time of birth is 19-20 inches however normal range is 17-22 inches.
These factors are helpful in predicting the potential health issues,rusk of infection,growth restriction or macrosomia.
However,every baby is unique and these factors can vary significantly.
●Growth spurts: A period in which baby's grows and develop rapidly and can gain weight,length and also develops many new skills.Major growth spurts are during:
▪︎0-3 months-During this time baby gains weight that is an average of 1-2 ounces per day.
▪︎4-6 months-Baby have their motor skills improved with increase in appetite.
▪︎7-9 months- Baby has a rapid brain development which includes problem solving skills and their mobility also increases.
▪︎10-12 months- The last growth spurt and by now their language skills,social interaction and emotional regulations are all improved.
Every baby grow at their own pace and growth spurts can vary in timing and intensity however we can nurture babies properly by offering frequent feeds, encouraging physical activity and being patient and flexible.
●Motor skills: These skills refer to the physical ability of a baby to move,manipulate objects and interact with the environment,it's milestones are as follows:
▪︎0-3 months:Baby lifts head,shoulders and brings hand in the middle.
▪︎4-6 months: Baby rolls over and reach for toys.
▪︎7-9 months:Baby can sit and crawl.
▪︎10-12 months: Baby can stand and walk.
Every child develops at their own pace, however we can help them by providing supporting environment,opportunities for practice and play,giving them tummy time,using toys which promotes motor skills development.
●Reflexes: These are the automatic responses to the stimuli which are very essential for the baby's survival and development and they're present are birth which later on disappear on their own as the baby grows and develops.
Some of the common Reflexes in babies are:
▪︎Rooting reflex:Whenever the cheeks and lips of the baby are stroked,it turns its head towards the stimulus and opens its mouth.
▪︎Sucking reflex:They automatically begin to suck when their mouth or lips are stimulated.
▪︎Grasping reflex:They automatically grasp the object when their hand is stimulated.
▪︎Moro reflex:If they feel that they are falling they automatically extends their legs and arms then quickly bring them back in.
▪︎Tonic Labyrinthine reflex : If their head is moved in some direction their body also moves automatically.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
●Sensory awareness: This refers to the baby's ability to perceive and respond to the stimuli around them and is very crucial for learning to interacr with the things around the world.
Milestones in this development are:
▪︎0-3 months:Baby's can respond to bright light,loud sound and touch.
▪︎4-6 months:They start recognizing familiar faces,objects and sound.
▪︎7-9 months:Their hand and eye coordination improves which makes them explore the environment around them.
▪︎10-12 months: They demonstrate and understand the object permanence and they explore the surrounding with sensory play.
Sensory awareness can be encouraged in babies by providing them with opportunities to play with play dough, sand or water,engaging them in sensory play like tasting,smelling and making them explore different flavors and scents,letting them play with soft toys and building blocks.
●Problem-solving: It is the process of identifying and overcoming obstacles to achieve a goal. In infants problem solving is an essential skill that lays the foundation for critical thinking, creativity, and independence.
Developmental Milestones are as follows:
▪︎6-9 months: Babies begin to problem solve by using trial and error to achieve a goal.
▪︎9-12 months:Babies start to use tools, such as rakes or spoons, to solve problems.
▪︎12-18 months: Toddlers begin to use problem-solving strategies, such as shaking or banging, to achieve a goal.
Providing opportunities for exploration and play,Offering challenges and obstacles to overcome, Encouraging trial and error,Model problem-solving strategies,Praising and celebrating their successes are some of the ways by which we can encourage problem solving, and can help the toddlers develop essential skills for critical thinking, creativity, and independence.
●Memory and imitation:These are the two essential cognitive skills that lay a foundation for baby's learning and development.
Developmental Milestones are as follows:
▪︎ 6-9 months: Babies starts demonstrating memory and imitates skills.
▪︎9-12 months: Babies show significant improvements in memory and imitation.
▪︎12 months+: From now onwards they continue to refine their memory and imitation skills.
Providingopportunities for play and exploration,Using repetition and routine to aid memory,Model actions and behaviors for imitation,Encouraging social interaction and engagement, Offering a variety of toys and objects for imitation and exploration are some of the ways by which we can support the development of memory and imitation, and can help the babies build a strong foundation for future learning and development.
LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT
●Crying and cooing: These are the early and essential forms of communication for babies which lay the foundation for baby's language development and social interaction.
Crying is a primary way for babies to express needs,wants and emotions during the initial three months from birth.
Cooing is considered as a precursor for language development which includes vowel sounds and consonant-vowel combinations during 2-4 months.
●Babbling and vowel sounds: These two sounds lay the foundation and mark significant milestones in language development.
Vowel Sounds(2-4 months): Babies start making cooing sounds, using vowels like "ooh," "ahh," and "eee."
Babbling (4-6 months): Babies begin to babble with consonant-vowel combinations, like "ba," "da," and "ma."
●Consonant sounds and words:These sound are the advancements in language and marks a significant progress in language development.
Consonant Sounds (6-9 months): Babies start making consonant sounds like "m," "b," and "d."
First Words(9-12 months): Babies say their first words, often simple ones like "mama," "dada," or "no."
●Understanding and responding: These skills lay the groundwork for effective communication and social interaction.
Babies develop understanding and responding skills, marking significant advancements in communication.
Understanding_ (9-12 months):Babies comprehend simple words and phrases, like "no" or "bye-bye."
Responding(9-12 months): Babies respond to their name, simple commands, and familiar phrases.