Infant Development

At the third month of gestation, the baby can smile. They breathe in amniotic fluid and the teeth develop. The fetus weighs about one ounce and the pancreas begins to secrete hormones. This is when many of the organs begin to develop. Movement cannot be detected by the mother but it is happening during this month. The fetus can urinate and the urine makes up a part of the amniotic fluid. The fetus can hear at 15 weeks‟ gestation.

During the fourth month of gestation, the fetus is about eight inches tall. The baby‟s movements can be felt by the mother and thumb-sucking can occur. There is complete formation of the fingernails and they are long enough to need to be clipped at the time of birth. The umbilical cord attaches the fetus to the placenta and provides nutrients to the fetus.

In the fifth month of gestation, the fetus weighs fifteen ounces. It has full hearing capabilities and is extremely active. The fetus has a head heavier than the body so it goes into a head down position for the birth process. There are eyebrows and there is lanugo hair that covers the entire body. Vernix is a creamy substance that coats the lanugo hair and can be seen on the baby at the time of birth.

In the sixth month, the fetus has gained a pound. They have improved coordination and can open their eyes. Fat deposits begin to develop and the fetus can tell the difference between darkness and lightness. By month seven, the fetus develops wrinkled skin from being inside the amniotic fluid. Eyelashes develop and more fat is deposited. The testes descend into the scrotum by the seventh month in male fetuses. The baby can regulate its own body temperature. The baby now weighs about two to four pounds.

By the eight month, the irises in the eyes can dilate or contract depending on the light and the fetus weighs about four to six pounds. They have a distinct pattern of sleeping and waking. They are active and can cry. Surfactant is being created that helps mature the fetus‟s lungs at the time of birth. Babies can be born now and have a good chance of survival.

In the ninth month of gestation, the infant gains about a pound every week and has fully functioning organ systems. The placenta sends antibodies to the fetus to provide passive immunity to several childhood diseases. The fetus weights about five to seven pounds and is ready to be born. The head is down in most cases, which is the preferred method of delivery. By the time of birth, the baby weighs approximately seven and a half pounds.

INFANT DEVELOPMENT

The development of the infant is divided into four separate categories. The first is social development. This involves the interaction of the baby to other humans. They learn to interact with the human voice and the face of loved ones. They can coo and smile. Some infants suffer from social delays because of hearing or visual defects, or defects in intellectual or emotional development.

Receptive language development involves the understanding of speech. It is a way to gauge the development of the fetus that is better than their expressive language development, which is the production of speech. If language is delayed, the infant should have a thorough evaluation of their vision and hearing skills.

Infants develop their large motor skills in infancy. They learn to hold their head upright and sit up by themselves. They learn to roll over, pull up, crawl, and walk. If an infant seems delayed in these areas, they need an evaluation of their physical health to make sure there isn‟t a health problem causing a developmental delay.

Small motor development occurs in infancy. The infant develops eye hand coordination as an infant and learns to reach and grab for things. They can manipulate small objects but do not can draw or write. This is developed in the toddler and preschool years.

In the first month of life, the infant can briefly lift their head and can turn their head from side to side. They have clenched hands but have a strong grasp reflex. They can follow objects and see best in black and white. They become quiet when they hear their parents‟ voices. They can cry when they are unhappy and can intently look at their parents faces.

In the second month of life, the infant can lift their head to forty-five degrees. The grasp reflex decreases and the infant can focus on objects. They can visually search for the origin of sounds and make sounds that are not just crying. They have distinctive sounds depending on their mood. They vocalize when exposed to familiar voices. They have a social smile reserved for loved ones.

In the third month of life, the infant can bear some weight when held up to stand. They can hold their head up and can raise both their head and shoulders when lying on their stomach. They can bear weight on their forearms and no longer have a grasp reflex. They can pull at their clothing and can follow visually in a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree direction. They can locate sounds by the turn of the head and have many different vocalizations. They can babble when spoken to and are able to recognize objects, voices, and faces. They smile when in contact with people they know and can play. They become fearful in strange situations.

In the fourth month of life, the infant begins to drool. The head is well supported and the infant can sit with some support. They can raise their head and chest when placed in a stomach down position. They have some small motor control with their hands and can reach for objects. They can grab objects with both hands and work on hand eye coordination. They vocalize often and have the ability to laugh. They enjoy things like swinging, bouncing, and being rocked.

In the fifth month of life, the infant begins to teethe. They can hold their head up when in a seated position and can roll from their stomach to their back. They can put their feet in their mouth when lying on their back. They can hold onto objects and can play with their toes. They

often put objects in their mouth. They look for objects that have been dropped and smile at themselves in the mirror. They show displeasure when objects are taken away from them and can tell the difference between a familiar person and a stranger. They spend time discovering their body parts.

In the sixth month of life, the infant can bite and chew. They can lift their head, chest, and stomach off the floor when in a stomach down position. They can roll from their back to their stomach and can support their head when seated. They can handle small objects and can hold their own bottle. They can put their feet into their mouth and focus on complex visual stimuli. They can say single syllable sounds and recognize their parents.

In the seventh month, they can sit without being supported and can bear their entire weight when placed in an upright position. They can sit without any type of support and will bounce when standing. They can transfer objects from one hand to another and can focus on small objects they are playing with. They respond to their name and have an awareness of space and depth. They prefer some tastes over others and babble when others are speaking.

In the eighth month of life, the infant can sit well without being supported and can bear weight on their legs. They can turn to reach for an object and use their fingers and thumbs to hold onto objects. They can release objects and can pull on a string to obtain an object. They can reach for objects that are out of their reach and can selectively listen to words that are familiar to them. They can say “mama” and “dada” but do not know the meaning of these words. They understand the meaning of the word “no” but do not always follow this.

In the ninth month of life, the infant begins crawling. They can pull themselves into a standing position and can sit for a long period. They develop a hand preference and use their thumb and index finger to pick objects up. They understand verbal commands and understand the meaning of the word “no”. They are interested in pleasing loved ones and do not like having their face washed or their clothing changed.

In the tenth month of life, the infant goes from a stomach to a seated position. They can balance themselves when sitting and will lift a foot to step when standing. They can say “byebye” and understand the words used to express their mother‟s and father‟s names. They can say more words and can wave to others. They develop object permanence and can repeat behaviors that attract the attention of others. They play interactive games with others and like being read to.

In the eleventh month, the infant can walk while holding on to furniture and can put objects into containers. They explore objects and can manipulate objects. They can roll a ball on command and become excited when they master a task. They do not like to become restricted in their movements and will shake their head from side to side to indicate the word “no”.