Infancy is an extremely important part of life. Many of the skills acquired in the time period between infancy and toddlerhood are carried throughout life. Infant developmental milestones, factors that influence milestones, and stimulating literature that can improve development in infants are all important.

Developmental Milestones

Physical Development:

In infancy, physical growth takes place in an extremely rapid manner. Infants go through the most change at the quickest rate in comparison to middle-aged children, adolescents, and adults. By the end of an infant’s first year of life, the average infant is about 32 inches tall, which is more than double the size of the typical infant at birth. In the first year of life, an infant’s weight will be triple that of the birth weight, and “baby fat” will peak at around nine months of life. The two patterns of growth that describe the changes in infants are the cephalocaudal trend, which explains how the body grows from head to toe, and the proximodistal trend, which explains how the body grows first from the center and then outward. When it comes to physical development, factors such as race, gender, and environment all contribute to differences amongst infant growth rates. According to Infants (0-1 years) | CDC, physical development milestones to look out for are:

• Holding head steady without support.
• Pushes up onto elbows/forearms when on tummy.
• Learning to sit without support.
• Moves things from one hand to another.
• Learning to stand.
• Picks things up with thumb and pointer finger.

Things parents can do to help with the physical development of infants are practice tummy time, encourage physical activity, refine fine and gross motor skills with various toys, and provide adequate nutrient.

Cognitive Development:

Cognitive development is the process of acquiring, understanding, and using information in various ways. According to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, children gain thinking skills in four stages, sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Through their first two years of development, infants are in the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development. In this stage of development, it is important for infants to use their eyes, ears, and hands, as these help with learning and cognition the most in this stage. Between months 1-4, simple motor habits, called primary circular reaction, which are centered around the infant’s body, will occur. As the infant grows to be 4-8 months, secondary circular reactions, which are imitations of familiar behaviors will occur. By the time infants are 8-12 months old, intentional and goal-oriented behavior will start. Infants will also have a better understanding of object permanence and will have an improved anticipation of events. For cognitive development, specific milestones to look out for in infants are:

• Focusing on people and objects in motion.
• Using the mouth and hands to explore/understand things.
• Searching for hidden objects.
• Engages in interactive games.

According to Ways to Encourage Cognitive Development | Help Me Grow MN, ways parents can support cognitive development in infants are talking to and reading books with infants, encouraging infants to search for hidden toys/objects, and engage in creative and stimulating activities with infant.

Social/Emotional Development:

Social/emotional development is how infants and children learn to express and understand their emotions and engage with family, peers, and their environment. Although social and emotional development are slightly different areas of development, social and emotional intelligence mature together. Proper social/emotion development contributes to healthy attachment between infants and caregivers. Social/emotional competence also helps with early peer sociably and helps infants develop self-awareness and self-control. Within the first six months of an infant’s life, behaviors like smiling and laughing emerge, and infants can begin to respond to stimuli with emotional expression. In the last half of the first year of an infant’s life, anger and fear increase, along with separation anxiety. Infants will also begin to display empathy and will engage with peers confidently. According to Social-Emotional Development: Infants and Toddlers | Virtual Lab School, cues and milestones related to social/emotional development in infants are:

• Smiling when others are talking or smiling.
• Making noises/laughing.
• Prefers the company of familiar people/fearful of strangers.
• Uses facial expressions to convey emotions.

Ways parents and caregivers can promote and support social/emotional development are by responding to coos/laughter/smiling, displaying empathy, introducing infant to the names of the emotions they feel, and encouraging them to engage with peers.

 

Influencing Factors:

Technology:

Technology is a huge part of today’s world. It is now heavily incorporated into education systems, professional jobs, and entertainment. No one, not even infants, can escape the impact of technology on society. Though infants are too young to properly engage with technology, they can still fall victim to the effects of it, but not in the ways that children and adults do. While children and adults are directly impacted by technology, infants are indirectly impacted by it, suffering from the effects it has on new parents. In the article, Limiting Technoference: Healthy Screen Time Habits for New Parents, by Joanna C. Zimmerle, EdD, “technoference” is a term recently coined by social scientists, referring to the interference technology can have on building and sustaining relationships. When new parents are distracted by technology, whether it be a T.V. screen or a phone, the number of interactions between new parents and their infant can be inadequate, thereby exposing the infant to impaired emotional wellbeing, poor behavior, delayed language development, and an increase in number if accidental injuries as the infant gets older. The distraction posed by technological devices decreases engagement between parents and infants during years in which engagement is vital to healthy development.

Environment:

Environment is extremely important to the overall development and health of infants. Healthy environments positively contribute to the maturation of infants in the same way that unhealthy environments negatively contribute to their growth. Anything that contributes to growth and development of the body, brain, and emotional intelligence in infants is a favorable element of an environment. These elements include nurturing/supportive caregivers, safe areas to play and explore, encouragement to express emotions, healthy hygiene habits, and a fulfilling diet.  Negative environmental elements include poverty, lack of emotional support, unsafe living conditions, and unhealthy diet. According to the article, Creating Nurturing Environments: A Science-Based Framework for Promoting Child Health and Development Within High-Poverty Neighborhoods, poverty is a significant risk factor for mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Poverty can also contribute to developmental challenges and physical health issues. Healthy environments are critical to the proper development of infants.

Nutrition:

Proper nutrition is crucial for infant due to its direct impact on their physical health and development. Without proper nutrition, infants can fall victim to malnutrition, which can have effects on their development throughout their lives. Aside from physical growth, feeding time for infants can have an impact on their social/emotional development. As the infants grows trust with their caregiver and learns to communicate their needs, they develop an emotional connection to their caregiver. As the infant grows older and starts to participate in family meals, the infant begins to imitate the food choices and eating patterns of their family members, contributing to their social development. According to Child nutrition: Impact on psychosocial and emotional development | Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development (child-encyclopedia.com), when this method of social/emotional development is disrupted, the infant has a higher chance of overeating, poor eating, feeding behavior problems, and unusual/unhealthy food choices. Healthy relationships with caregivers are extremely important for infants because a secure attachment to caregivers decreases the risk of unhealthy eating habits and disorders.

Children’s Literature:

Reading is important for all stages of development, especially infancy. When an infant is introduced to literature, they have a deeper understanding of language and have an easier time learning to speak, in comparison to children who aren’t introduced to literature in infancy. Although it may seem impractical to read to an infant, reading helps them with not only their cognitive development, but also their social/emotional development and their emotional attachment to the caregivers who read to them. According to 10 Must-Have Books for Your Baby’s First Library (verywellfamily.com), a few books that can help with the development of infants are The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Baby Be Kind, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Earl Carle, with 4.32 stars on Goodreads, is a book that follows as caterpillar as it eats and eats, until it is finally satisfied, and then transforms into a butterfly. This interactive book introduces children to different types of foods, some healthy, others not so much. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a fun way to teach babies about nutrition and adventure. Baby Be Kind by Jane Cowen-Fletcher, with 4.19 stars on Goodreads, is a book that helps young children learn what it means to be kind and demonstrate gestures of kindness, like greeting and helping peers, taking turns and sharing. This book can help babies will their social/emotional growth, as it encourages them to display empathy and care. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., with 4.25 stars on Goodreads, is a book that helps babies and children learn about the alphabet through rhyming and personifying letters. This fun and entertaining book helps children develop their cognitive skills and familiarizes them with the alphabet.

 

 

 

 

Learning how to support the physical, social/emotional, and cognitive development of infants can be challenging without the proper resources. Articles like this can help new parents, grandparents, and caregivers of any kind aid infants in their growth and maturation.