Growth And Development In Babies Essay - 1397 Words

Babies grow and develop at a very rapid rate during the first year of life. They grow physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. However, through this portfolio, I intend to discuss the physical growth and development patterns of the infant through their first year.To begin with, development refers to the babys increased skill in using various body parts. When dealing with the development of a child there are three basic developmental rules.First Developmental Rule:This rule states that babies develop in the head region first, then the trunk, and lastly in the legs and feet. Therefore, it is said that babies develop in a head-to-toe direction or cephalocaudally. For example, a baby can hold up their head before they can grasp an†¦show more content†¦Clearly, this is a very rapid growth rate, however, the rate of growth slows down considerably after infancy.The HeadThe head of a newborn baby is very large compared to the rest of their body. For example, compared to the babys total length of about 20 inches, the length of the head measures approximately 5 inches...which equals one-fourth of the total length.There are four pieces of bone that make up the skull. These pieces are flexible. This is so that they can move slightly while the baby is being forced down the birth canal. The four skull bones will no join until the baby is about 18 months old. The area between the quot;piecesquot;, at the top of the babys head is called the fontanel, or the quot;soft spotquot;. The flexibility of the skull gives the baby protection form concussion caused by bumps or falls. I remember being warned when my little sister was born, not to touch her head because of this quot;soft spotquot;. However, through my research, I found out that you cannot hurt a baby by touching the head gently. The Brain Even though the brain is large at birth, its development is incomplete. 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