Infancy and Child Development

Infancy Development

• Infants display a range of emotional expressions at birth, suggesting innate emotional capabilities
• Infants perceive facial expressions of emotion and show emotional resonance by expressing the same emotion

Motor Development

• Average age of motor skill achievement:
  • Holds head erect and steady: 6 weeks
  • Lifts self by arms: 2 months
  • Rolls from side to back: 2 months
  • Grasps cube: 3 months, 3 weeks
  • Rolls from back to side: 4 ½ weeks
  • Sits alone: 7 months
  • Crawls: 7 months
  • Pulls to stand: 8 months
  • Plays pat-a-cake: 9 months, 3 weeks
  • Stands alone: 11 months
  • Walks alone: 11 months, 3 weeks
  • Builds tower of two cubes: 11 months, 3 weeks
  • Scribbles vigorously: 14 months
  • Walks up stairs with help: 16 months
  • Jumps in one place: 23 months, 2 weeks
  • Walks on tiptoe: 25 months

Emotional Development

• Infants learn about the world through social referencing, observing adults' reactions to events
• Emotional awareness is demonstrated in parent-infant interactions, where infants show distress when the parent stops reacting as expected
• Infants exhibit signs of complex emotions like jealousy, coyness, self-awareness, pride, and shame
• At 15 months, children understand the concept of self, demonstrated by touching their nose when seeing a mirror image with red lipstick

Attachment

• Attachment is a secondary drive associated with biological needs met by the caregiver, such as food and warmth
• Attachment is a strong affectional tie between the infant and caregiver, leading to feelings of pleasure, joy, and comfort
• Infants react more to figures who are soft and warm, rather than just providing food
• Attachment between the infant and mother forms between 6 to 8 weeks, leading to separation anxiety when the mother is not around
• The mother serves as a secure base for the infant to explore the world

Temperament

• Temperament refers to individual differences in emotional reaction, activity level, attention, and emotional self-regulation
• Temperament is apparent at birth and contributes to debates about the genetic basis of personality
• Three types of temperaments:
  • Easy child (40% of infants): cheerful, adaptable, and quick to establish routines
  • Difficult child (10% of infants): irregular routines, slow to adapt, and reacting negatively and intensely
  • Slow to warm up child (15% of infants): inactive, mild reactions, negative mood, and slow adjustment to new experiences

Nutrition and Health

• Marasmus: a disease caused by a diet low in essential nutrients, appearing in the first year of life when the mother is malnourished and cannot produce enough breast milk
• Kwashiorkor: a disease caused by an unbalanced diet very low in protein, striking after weaning, between 1 and 3 years of age

Explore the various aspects of infant development, including motor skills, attachment, sensory development, language, and physical growth. Learn about the importance of nutrition, breast milk vs formula, and the risks of diseases like marasmus and kwashiorkor.