MODULE 12

Physical Development of Infants

and Toddlers
1. To know how to trace the physical
development of infants and toddlers.

2. To know how to draw implications of

these principles and processes to
parenting and caregiving.
 Newborn

2mos. 5mos. 2y 6y 12y 25y

Fetal age
 Cephalocaudal and Proximodistal Patterns

Cephalocaudal trend

• Postnatal conception to 5 months when

the head grows more than the body.
• Also applies in the first months after
birth. Infants learn to use their upper
limbs before their lower limbs.
• The same pattern occurs in the head
area because the top parts of the head-
the eyes and the brain- grow faster than
the lower parts such as the jaw.
Proximodistal trend

• Pre- natal from 5 months to birth

when the fetus grows from the inside
of the body outwards.
• Also applies in the first months after
birth as shown in the earlier
maturation if muscular control of the
trunk and arms, followed by that of
the hands and fingers.
• Refers to the development of motor
skills (motor development) from the
center of the body outward.
 HEIGHT and WEIGHT
• In general, an infants lenght
increasesby about 30% in the five
months.
• A baby's weight usually triplets
during the first year but slows
down in the second year of life.

Normal for newborn babies to

drop 5 to 10% of their body
weight within a couple of weeks
of birth, due to the baby's
adjustment to neonatal feeding.
They grow rapidly when they
adjust from sucking, swallowing
and digesting.
 BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
• Among the most dramatic changes in
the brain in the first two years are the
spreading connections of dendrites to
each other. ( Neurons, dendrites, axon,
synapses)

• MYELINATION/ MYELINIZATION, the

process by w/c the axons covered and
insulated by layers of fat cells, begins
prenatally and continues after birth.
The process of this increases the
speed at w/c information travels
through the nervous system.
• At birth , the newborn's brain is about 25% of its
adult weight. By the 2nd birthday, the brain is
about 75% of its adult weight.

• Shortly after birth, baby's brain produces

trillions more connections between neurons
than it can possibly use.

• The infant's brain is literally waiting for

experiences to determine how connections are
made.
 Avocado Fish Berries

Oatmeal Whole grain Eggs

Peanuts Yougurt Vegetables

 MOTOR DEVELOPMENT
Infants and toodlers begin from reflexes , to gross
motor skills and fine motor skills.

Reflexes
• Some newborn basic reflexes are:

Automatic (serve as survival mechanism before they

have oppurtunity to learn).

Many reflexes w/c are present at birth will generally

subside within a few months as the baby grows and
mature.
Sucking Reflex: initiated Rooting Reflex: baby
when something touches the respods by turning his/her
roof of an infant's mouth. head in the direction of the
( Very strong). touch and opening their
mouth for feeding.
Gripping Reflex: babies Curling Reflex: when the
will grasp anything that is inner and outer sole of the
placed in their palm. The baby's foot is stroked, the
strenght of this grip is infant respond by curling
strong. and spreading out their
toes.
Startle/ Moro Reflex: Galant Reflex: shown when an
respond to sudden sounds/ infant's middle or lower back is
movements by throwing stroked next to the spinal cord.
their arms and legs out, and Respond by curving his/ her body
throwing their heads back. toward the side w/c is being
stroked.
Tonic Neck Reflex:
demonstrated in infants who
are placed on their
abdomens. Whichever side
the child's head is facing, the
limbs on that side will
straighten, while the
opposite limbs will curl.
 Gross Motor Skills
It is always a source of excitement for parents to witness
dramatic changes in the infant's first year of life. This
dramatic changes motor development is shown in babies
unable to even lift their heads to being able to grab
things off the cabinet, to chase the ball and to walk away
from parent.
 Fine Motor Skills
Skills involved a refine use of the small muscles controlling
the hand, and thumb.
Toddlers- reaching and grasping

Infants- crude shoulder elbow movements.

 SENSORY AND PERCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT

Can new born:

• see?
• hear?
• Differentiate odors?
• Feel pain? Do they respond to touch?
• Distinguished the different taste?
• And relate information through several- senses?
Or capable of intermodal perception?
 SENSORY AND PERCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT

Vision

• The newborn's vision is about 10 to 30 times lower

than normal adult vision.

• In an experiment conducted by Robert Fantz it was

found out that infants preferred to look at patterns
such as faces and concentric circles.

• Based on these results, it is likely that "pattern

perception has an innate basis".
 Hearing

• The sense of hearing in an infant develops much

before the birth of the baby.

• Infants' sensory thresholds are somewhat higher

than those of adult which means that stimulus
must be louder to be heard by a newborn than by
an adult.
 Smell
• " young infants who were breastfed clear
preference for smelling their mother's breast pad
when they 6 days old.

• This preference did not show when the babies

were only two days old.

• This show that it requires several days of

experience to recognize their mother's breast
pad odor" ( By MacFarlane).
Touch
• They do feel pain. Newborn males show higher
level of cortisol ( an indicator of stress) after a
circumcision than prior to surgery ( Taddio, et
al, 1997 cited by Santrock, 2002).

• Babies respond to touch.

Tastes
• In a study conducted with babies only two hour old,
babies made different facial expressions when they
tasted sweet, sour, and bitter solutions ( Rosentien
and Oster, 1998, cited by Santrock, 2002).

• When sacharin was added to the amiotic fluid of a

near- term fetus, increased swallowing was
observed.

• This indicates that sensitivity to taste might be

present birth.
Intermodal perception
• The ability to relate, connect and integrate
information about two or more sensory
modalities such as vision and hearing.

• As early as at 3 half months old, infants

looked more at their mother when they
also heard her voice and longer at their
father when they also heard his voice ( by
Spelke and Owsley 1979).
What Infants and toddlers Can Do Physically?
Domain: Physical Health, Well – Being and Motor Developmen
Physical Health
Standards 1: the child demonstrate adequate growth (weight,
height, head circumference)
Standard 2: the child has adequate sensory systems to participate in
daily activities.

0-6months
• Startles to loud voice
• Visually follows a moving object from side to side; up and
down
• React to pain by crying
• Withdraws or cries when in contact with something hot
• Withdraw or reacts with surprise when in contact with
something cold
• Reacts with pleasure/smiles or relaxed expression when
he/she tastes something delicious
• Reacts by making a face/ frowns/grimaces when he/she
taste something he/she does not like
Physical Health
Standards 1: the child demonstrate adequate growth (weight, height, head
circumference)
Standard 2: the child has adequate sensory systems to participate in daily activities.

7-12 months
• Reacts with pleasure when he/she smells something nice
• Reacts by making a face when he/she smell something foul

Standards 3: the child has adequate stamina to participate in daily activities.

• Pushes and/or pulls moderately heavy objects (e.g., chairs, large boxes)
• Walks without tiring easily

13-18 months
• Plays without tiring easily, able to keep pace with playmates
• Participate actively in games, outdoors play and other exercises

19-24 months
• Sustains physical activity (e.g., dancing, outdoor games, swimming) for at least 4-5
minutes
Motor Skills Development (Gross Motor Skills)
Standards 1: The Child shows control and coordinators of body generally movements involving
large muscles group.

0-6months
• Holds head steadily
• Moves arms and legs equally to reach at dangling object
• Rolls over
• Bounces when held standing, briefly bearing weight on legs
• Sits with support
• Starting to crawl but not yet very good at this

7-12 months
• Sits alone steadily without support
• Creeps or crawls with ease as a primary means of moving around
• Stands without support; stands from a sitting position without any help; squats
from standing position with ease
• Bends over easily without falling
• Stand from a bent position without falling
• Walks sideways by holding onto the sides of crib or furniture (cruises)
• Walks with one hand held
Motor Skills Development (Gross Motor Skills)
Standards 1: The Child shows control and coordinators of body generally movements involving
large muscles group.

13-18 months
• Walks without support; walks backwards
• Walks up & down the stairs with hand held, 2 feet on each step
• Jumps in place
• Climbs onto a steady elevated surface (e.g., bed, adult chair or bangko, etc.)
• Kicks a ball but with little control of direction
• Throws a ball but with little control of direction and speed
• Runs without tripping and falling
• Maintains balance (walking on a low, narrow, ledge; between lines) without
assistance
• Moves with music when he hears it
• Can move body to imitate familiar animals, another person/tv
character

19-24 months
• Walks up & down the stairs with alternating feet, without help
• Kicks a ball with control of direction
• Throws a ball with control of direction and speed
Motor Skills development (fine
motor Skills)
Standards 1: the child can control and coordinate hand and finger
movements.

0-6months
• Hands open most of the time
• Brings both hands together towards dangling objects/toy
• Uses either hand interchangeably to grasp object
• Uses all 5 fingers in raking motion to get food/toys places
on a flat surface
• Grasp objects with the same hand most of the time (hand
preference emerging)

7-12 moths
• Pulls toys by the string
• Bangs 2 large blocks together
• Picks up objects with thumb and index fingers
• Grasp and transfers objects from hand to hand
• Grasp object with the same hand all the time (define
hand preference established)
Motor Skills development (fine motor Skills)
Standards 1: the child can control and coordinate hand and finger movements.

13-18 months
• Puts small objects in/out of container
• Unscrews
• Unwrap candy/food
• Holds thick pencil or crayon with palmar grip (i.e., all 5 fingers wrapped around
pencil)
• Scribbles spontaneously

19-24 months
• Colors with strokes going out of the lines
Personal Care and Hygiene (Activities of Daily Living)
Standards 1: The child participate in basic personal care routines

0-6 months
• Sucks and swallows milk from breast/bottle
• Begins to take complementary or semi-solid foods by the end of 6 moths
• Keeps reasonably still while being dressed, undress bathed and while diaper is
being changed.

7-12 months
• Holds a feeding bottle by himself
• Helps hold cup for drinking
• Chews solid foods well
• Feeds self with finger foods
• Scoops with a spoon with spillage
Personal Care and Hygiene (Activities of Daily Living)
Standards 1: The child participate in basic personal care routines

13-18 months
• Feeds self with assistance
• Feeds self using fingers to eat rice/viands with spillage
• Feeds self using spoon with spillage
• No longer drinks from feeding bottle; Drinks from cup unassisted
• Participate when being dress by lifting lifting arms or raising legs
• Pulls down gartered short pants/underpants or panties
• Removes shoes/sandals
• Informs caregiver of the need to move his bowels so he/she can be brought to
comfort rooms
• Takes a bath with assistance
• Brushes teeth after meals with assistance from adult
• Washes and dries hands under adult supervision
• Washes and dries face with the assistance of an adult
Personal Care and Hygiene (Activities of Daily Living)
Standards 1: The child participate in basic personal care routines

19-24 months
• gets drink for self unassisted
• removes loose sando; removes socks
• inform caregiver of the need to urinate so he/she can be brought to the comfort
room
• goes to the designated place to urinate but sometimes wets his/her pants
• Goes to designated place to move his/her bowels but sometimes still soils his/her
pants
• Goes to the designated place to move his/her bowels but needs help with wiping
and washing
• Brushes teeth after meals with adult supervision
• Washes and dries face under adult supervision
Language (Expressive language)
Standards 1: the child is able to use words and gestures to express his thoughts and feelings.

0-6 months
• Make gurgling; cooing, babbling or other vocal sounds
• Uses gestures (e.g., stretching his/her arms, pointing) to indicate what he/she wants

7-12 months
• Repeats sounds produced by others
• Says meaningful words like papa, mama, to refer to specific persons
• Uses animal sounds to identify animals (e.g., meow-meow for cat)
• Uses environmental sounds to identify objects or events in the environment (e.g.,
boom for thunder)
Language (Expressive language)
Standards 1: the child is able to use words and gestures to express his thoughts and feelings.

13-18months
• Speaks for single words
• Says “yes” and “no” appropriately
• Uses words accompanied by gestures to indicate what he/she wants
• Responds to simple questions with single words

19-24 months
• uses pronounce
• uses possessive pronounce
• says what he/she wants without accompanying this with gestures
• attempts to converse even if he cannot be clearly understood
PRE – READING and PRE-MATH (MATCHING)
Standards 1.1: the child is able to match identical objects, colors, shapes, symbols.

7-12 months
• able to match 2 identical objects (e.g., 2 spoons, 2 balls)

19-21 months
• Matches Identical objects
• Matches identical pictures
 End!!!

Thank you!

Prepared by :
Lyka Mawili and Rhea Joy Cabalsa