Infancy Development (Age Birth-1)

Physical: During the first two months of life an infant is developing muscles and at approximately six weeks of age he has begun to use his neck muscles to hold his head up when in an upright position. At two months old an infant should be able to push himself up using his hands and arms while lying on his belly (Berk, 2013). Language: Around two months old babies begin to make vowel like sounds that it called cooing. Around six months he will begin to make babbling sounds that are similar to consonant sounds. Between the ages of 7-12 months baby is able to detect speech units that are crucial to understanding meaning and familiar words and are able to acquire language-specific knowledge before they begin to talk at around 12 months (Berk, 2013). Cognitive: At birth babies are learning to distinguish some sound patterns. Also at birth he will show preference to his own mothers voice. Social/Emotional During the first six months a baby will develop a social smile and will learn how to laugh during interactions with their caregiver. Around 7-12 months he will display more anger and fear more frequently. He will learn to regulate this emotion by retreating from the stimulus (Berk, 2013).

Moral Reasoning/Self-Regulation Infants around 7-12 months will reach out for help when attempting a task such as crawling up an incline or taking first steps. He prefers to accept help rather than struggle against an obstacle (Berk, 2013). Infants also learn to self-regulate by retreating from a fearful situation. She will typically find her preferred caregiver and use her as a secure base. With assistance from the caregiver the baby will control his emotions.

A-Typical Development: Teratogens that a mother may unintentionally expose her child to during the prenatal period may result in long lasting and negative effects to the infant. Infants who have been exposed to prescription drugs or illegal drug while in utero can be born premature, have low birth weight, breathing difficulties, feverish, irritable, etc. Long lasting effects may include deficits in perceptual development, motor development, attention, memory, and language development, etc.

Cultural Factors that Influence Development The quality of caregiver and child interactions plays a strong role in the development of language. Children who come from a of low socio economic status tend to have a smaller vocabulary and children from a Mandarin Chinese background use shorter and easier consonants initially because they are easier to pronounce. In addition children who are dual language learners may take longer to begin speaking and sometimes will go through a silent period (Berk, 2013). Social Factors that Influence Development: A babys social world has a great influence on his development. It is affected by interactions with the people that are a part of his world. Looking into the face of a caregiver and interacting with them through a smile, an expression, or laugh builds on that relationship. In addition, infants will develop a sense of self through the reactions and interactions of the adults in their life. Strategies: Expectant mother should consult her doctor before taking over the counter medications. Expectant mothers who have an addiction to illegal drugs or alcohol should seek help immediately upon discovering of pregnancy to kick the habit before causing further damage to her unborn child.

Interactions with your child are critical to his overall development. A parent who talks with her baby and is warm and responsive to his needs will help her baby to develop a secure attachment. A secure attachment promotes positive relationships and a child who feels safe and who is comfortable in exploring his environment.

Berk, L.E. (2013). Child Development. Illinois State University. Pearson Education.