Growth development in infants

Infants (0-1 years) | CDC

Developmental Milestones

Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye-bye” are called developmental milestones. Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move (like crawling, walking, or jumping).

In the first year, babies learn to focus their vision, reach out, explore, and learn about the things that are around them. Cognitive, or brain development means the learning process of memory, language, thinking, and reasoning. Learning language is more than making sounds (“babble”), or saying “ma-ma” and “da-da”. Listening, understanding, and knowing the names of people and things are all a part of language development. During this stage, babies also are developing bonds of love and trust with their parents and others as part of social and emotional development. The way parents cuddle, hold, and play with their baby will set the basis for how they will interact with them and others.

Positive Parenting Tips

Following are some things you, as a parent, can do to help your baby during this time:

Talk to your baby. She will find your voice calming.
Answer when your baby makes sounds by repeating the sounds and adding words. This will help him learn to use language.
Read to your baby. This will help her develop and understand language and sounds.
Sing to your baby and play music. This will help your baby develop a love for music and will help his brain development.
Praise your baby and give her lots of loving attention.
Spend time cuddling and holding your baby. This will help him feel cared for and secure.
Play with your baby when she’s alert and relaxed. Watch your baby closely for signs of being tired or fussy so that she can take a break from playing.
Distract your baby with toys and move him to safe areas when he starts moving and touching things that he shouldn’t touch.
Take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Parenting can be hard work! It is easier to enjoy your new baby and be a positive, loving parent when you are feeling good yourself.

Infants (0-1 year of age) pdf icon[PDF – 793K]

Child Safety First

When a baby becomes part of your family, it is time to make sure that your home is a safe place. Look around your home for things that could be dangerous to your baby. As a parent, it is your job to ensure that you create a safe home for your baby. It also is important that you take the necessary steps to make sure that you are mentally and emotionally ready for your new baby. Here are a few tips to keep your baby safe:

Do not shake your baby―ever! Babies have very weak neck muscles that are not yet able to support their heads. If you shake your baby, you can damage his brain or even cause his death.
Make sure you always put your baby to sleep on her back to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (commonly known as SIDS). Read more about new recommendations for safe sleep for infants here.
Protect your baby and family from secondhand smoke. Do not allow anyone to smoke in your home.
Place your baby in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat while he is riding in a car. This is recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pdf icon[1.15 MB / 1 page]external icon.
Prevent your baby from choking by cutting her food into small bites. Also, don’t let her play with small toys and other things that might be easy for her to swallow.
Don’t allow your baby to play with anything that might cover her face.
Never carry hot liquids or foods near your baby or while holding him.
Vaccines (shots) are important to protect your child’s health and safety. Because children can get serious diseases, it is important that your child get the right shots at the right time. Talk with your child’s doctor to make sure that your child is up-to-date on her vaccinations.

Healthy Bodies

Breast milk meets all your baby’s needs for about the first 6 months of life. Between 6 and 12 months of age, your baby will learn about new tastes and textures with healthy solid food, but breast milk should still be an important source of nutrition.
Feed your baby slowly and patiently, encourage your baby to try new tastes but without force, and watch closely to see if he’s still hungry.
Breastfeeding is the natural way to feed your baby, but it can be challenging. If you need help, you can call the National Breastfeeding Helpline at 800-994-9662 or get help on-line at http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeedingexternal icon. You can also call your local WIC Program to see if you qualify for breastfeeding support by health professionals as well as peer counselors or use an online directory to find an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultantexternal icon in your community.
Keep your baby active. She might not be able to run and play like the “big kids” just yet, but there’s lots she can do to keep her little arms and legs moving throughout the day. Getting down on the floor to move helps your baby become strong, learn, and explore.
Try not to keep your baby in swings, strollers, bouncer seats, and exercise saucers for too long.
Limit screen time. For children younger than 18 months of age, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that it’s best if babies do not use any screen media other than video chatting.
Make sure your child gets the recommended amount of sleep each night: For infants 4-12 months, 12–16 hours per 24 hours (including naps)

For More Information

Infants and toddlers
Preschool
Middle childhood
Adolescence

CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” Campaign
For more details on developmental milestones, warning signs of possible developmental delays, and information on how to help your child’s development, visit the “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” campaign website.

CDC’s Parent Information (Children 0―3 years)
This site has information to help you learn how to give your child a healthy start in life.

CDC’s Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers
Learn ways you can help build a safe, stable, and nurturing relationship with your child.

CDC’s Breastfeeding Information
This site has answers to frequently asked questions about breastfeeding.

CDC’s Information on Infant and Toddler Nutrition
Tips for Parents – Ideas to help children maintain a healthy weight.

CDC’s Protect the Ones You Love
CDC’s Injury Center has information on how you can protect your child from drowning and other common causes of injury.

CDC’s Information on Vaccinations
View the immunization schedule for infants and children and find out if your child’s vaccinations are up to date.

My Plate – Infantsexternal icon
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides information on health and nutrition for 2 through 5 years of age.

My Plate – Toddlersexternal icon
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides information on health and nutrition for toddlers

HealthyChildren.orgexternal icon
AAP’s Healthy Children website provides information on feeding, nutrition, and fitness for all developmental stages from infancy to young adulthood.

Just in Time Parentingexternal icon (JITP)
Quality, research-based information to families at the time it can be most useful.

Healthy Kids Healthy Futureexternal icon
You will find information on physical activity for young children and on ways to keep them moving.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationexternal icon (NHTSA)
NHTSA has information on safety recalls and safety tips for children riding in motor vehicles, walking, biking, playing outside, waiting at school bus stops, and more.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.external icon (NICHD)
Visit NICHD to learn how to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and about safe sleep environments.

World Health Organization information on infant nutritionexternal icon
This site has information to promote proper feeding for infants and young children.

CDC’s Parent Information (Children 4−11 years)
This site has information to help you guide your child in leading a healthier life.

CDC’s Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers
Learn ways you can help build a safe, stable, and nurturing relationship with your child.

CDC’s Healthy Weight Information.
Tips for parents – Ideas to help children maintain a healthy weight.

CDC’s Youth Physical Activity Guidelines
This site has information on how to help children be active and play.

My Plate- Preschoolersexternal icon
The U. S. Department of Agriculture provides information on health and nutrition for preschoolers.

HealthyChildren.orgexternal icon
AAP’s Healthy Children website provides information on feeding, nutrition, and fitness for all developmental stages from infancy to young adulthood.

Just in Time Parentingexternal icon (JITP)
Quality, research-based information to families at the time it can be most useful.

Healthy Kids Healthy Futureexternal icon
You will find information on physical activity for young children and on ways to keep them moving.

CDC’s Parent Information (Children 4 — 11 years)
This site has information to help you guide your child in leading a healthier life.

CDC’s Healthy Weight Information.
Tips for parents – Ideas to help children maintain a healthy weight.

CDC’s Youth Physical Activity Basics
This site has information on how to help children be active and play.

CDC’s Kids Quest
Kids Quest is a CDC website designed for students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, to get them to think about people with disabilities and some of the issues related to daily activities, health, and accessibility.

CDC’s BAM! Body and Mind
CDC’s BAM! Body and Mind is a website designed for kids 9 through 13 years of age to give them the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices. The site focuses on topics that kids told us are important to them—such as stress and physical fitness—using kid-friendly lingo, games, quizzes, and other interactive features.

My Plate – Kidsexternal icon.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides information on health and nutrition for children over 5 years of age.

HealthyChildren.orgexternal icon
AAP’s Healthy Children website provides information on feeding, nutrition, and fitness for all developmental stages from infancy to young adulthood. Visit this website to learn more about emotional problemsexternal icon, learning disabilitiesexternal icon and other health and development concerns.

Just in Time Parentingexternal icon (JITP)
Quality, research-based information to families at the time it can be most useful.

Let’s Move-Kidsexternal icon
Five simple steps for parents towards creating a healthy environment at home.

StopBullying.govexternal icon
StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on how children, parents, educators and others in the community can prevent or stop bullying.

SAMHSA’s KnowBullying appexternal icon
A free app for parents to help prevent bullying, created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency (SAMHSA).

Teens Healthexternal icon
Visit this site for information on healthy eating and exerciseexternal icon for children and teenagers, safety tips for your child at homeexternal icon when you can’t be there, and other important health and safety topics.

CDC’s Adolescent and School Mental Health
Learn how connection is key to good adolescent mental health.

CDC’s Parent Information (Teens 12— 19)
This site has information to help you learn how to guide your teen to be safe and become a healthy and productive adult.

CDC’s Healthy Weight Information.
Tips for parents – Ideas to help children maintain a healthy weight.

CDC’s Youth Physical Activity Guidelines
This site has information on how to help children be active and play.

CDC’s Pregnancy Prevention for Teens.
Tips and information especially for teens and designed with input from teens.

CDC’s BAM! Body and Mind
CDC’s BAM! Body and Mind is a website designed for kids 9 through 13 years of age, to give them the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices. The site focuses on topics that kids told us are important to them—such as stress and physical fitness—using kid-friendly lingo, games, quizzes, and other interactive features.

CDC’s Information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth Health
Learn about the physical and mental health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatryexternal icon
The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry has many fact sheets for parents on child and adolescent health and development.

My Plate – Teenexternal icon
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides information on health and nutrition for teens.

HealthyChildren.orgexternal icon
AAP’s Healthy Children website provides information on feeding, nutrition, and fitness for all developmental stages from infancy to young adulthood.

Just in Time Parentingexternal icon (JITP)
Quality, research-based information to families at the time it can be most useful.

National Institute of Mental Healthexternal icon
The National Institute of Mental Health has information on mental disorders affecting children and adolescents, including anxiety and depression.

StopBullying.govexternal icon
StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on how children, parents, educators, and others in the community can prevent or stop bullying.

SAMHSA’s KnowBullying appexternal icon
A free app for parents to help prevent bullying, created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency (SAMHSA).

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)external icon
SAMHSA works to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, alcohol and drug addiction treatment, and mental health services.

Teens Healthexternal icon
Visit this site for information on healthy eating and exercise for children and teenagers.

Normal growth and development: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

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A child's growth and development can be divided into four periods:

Infancy
Preschool years
Middle childhood years
Adolescence

Soon after birth, an infant normally loses about 5% to 10% of their birth weight. By about age 2 weeks, an infant should start to gain weight and grow quickly.

By age 4 to 6 months, an infant's weight should be double their birth weight. During the second half of the first year of life, growth is not as rapid. Between ages 1 and 2, a toddler will gain only about 5 pounds (2. 2 kilograms). Weight gain will remain at about 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms) per year between ages 2 to 5.

Between ages 2 to 10 years, a child will grow at a steady pace. A final growth spurt begins at the start of puberty, sometime between ages 9 to 15.

The child's nutrient needs correspond with these changes in growth rates. An infant needs more calories in relation to size than a preschooler or school-age child needs. Nutrient needs increase again as a child gets close to adolescence.

A healthy child will follow an individual growth curve. However, the nutrient intake may be different for each child. Provide a diet with a wide variety of foods that is suited to the child's age.

Healthy eating habits should begin during infancy. This can help prevent diseases such as high blood pressure and obesity.

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT AND DIET

Poor nutrition can cause problems with a child's intellectual development. A child with a poor diet may be tired and unable to learn at school. Also, poor nutrition can make the child more likely to get sick and miss school. Breakfast is very important. Children may feel tired and unmotivated if they do not eat a good breakfast.

The relationship between breakfast and improved learning has been clearly shown. There are government programs in place to make sure each child has at least one healthy, balanced meal a day. This meal is usually breakfast. Programs are available in poor and underserved areas of the United States.

Talk to your health care provider if you have concerns about your child's growth and development.

Growth spurts in children under one year old

Useful information 1 September 2020

All articles

The first year of a baby's life is always a colossal change for a little person, a rapid development of his physical and mental abilities. Therefore, it is so necessary for a mother to understand what is happening with her baby right now.

It may sound unbelievable, but your little one goes through at least 7 growth spurts before he turns one year old.

During this period, it is very important for a child to feel the care and love of loved ones who will help him overcome the first difficulties.

How to understand that a baby is starting a growth spurt?

Growth crises in a child up to a year have their own time periods:

The first growth spurt (1 jump) occurs already at 1-1.5 months, reaching its maximum at the 5th week of the baby.

The second growth spurt (2nd jump) flows smoothly from the first crisis, and by the 2nd month it will be felt in full, the 8th week will be especially difficult for you.

The third growth spurt (3rd spurt) usually passes within a week, manifesting itself by the 3rd month of life.

Fourth growth spurt (4th jump) - on the 4th month, it is necessary to prepare for the 19th week of the baby's life, because it will be the peak of this period.

The fifth growth spurt (5th spurt) will “please” you at the age of six months, reaching its maximum at the 26th week.

The sixth growth spurt (6th spurt) up to a year will manifest itself at 8-9 months of a baby's life, the peak of this period will fall on the 37th week.

The seventh spurt of (7th spurt) will be the longest period, which can last from 3 to 7 weeks. This jump occurs at 10 months, reaching its peak at the 46th week.

Growth crises up to a year, which change the behavior of the baby so dramatically, have their own reasons.

Firstly, this is the rapid development of all systems of the child's body, which literally grows by leaps and bounds. The baby's psyche in this case simply does not have time to adapt and turns on its own defense mechanisms. And the mother gets a capricious, "tame" child who does not want to let her go even for a second.

Secondly, never again does a person receive such a huge amount of information as in the first year of his life. The child opens up new horizons of knowledge of the world around him - this frightens him, causing anxiety and anxiety.

The signs by which you can determine the beginning of the next crisis vary slightly depending on the age of the baby, but they have common features:

Unreasonable screaming and crying. The changes that happen to the baby are frightening - which he immediately signals to his loved ones, expressing himself in a language accessible to babies - crying. This also includes sudden changes in mood.

"Hanging" on the chest. The surest way to soothe any baby, regardless of age, is mom. The baby may not let go of his mother's breast for hours, even if he is not hungry.

Apathy. The surrounding space for the baby becomes less exciting, activity decreases. He can get angry and stubborn even with the simplest actions - washing, changing clothes or changing a diaper.

Loss of appetite. The child suddenly begins to eat poorly or refuse to eat at all. Or he prefers a certain type of food - for example, porridge, ignoring other dishes.

"I want hands on." The kid wants to soak up his mother, he really needs her kisses and hugs - so he literally does not get off his hands. And an attempt to leave him even for a second ends with a loud cry.

A baby's sleep during a crisis.

Certainly, growth crises in infants impair the quality of sleep and shorten its duration. From the abundance of new impressions and discoveries that accompany each growth spurt, the baby’s sleep becomes restless and intermittent. Falling asleep and waking up may be accompanied by crying.

During this period, it is necessary to help the baby calm down before going to bed. It is advisable to plan preparation for sleep in advance, because laying down can be delayed. You should not allow overwork and lack of sleep, so try to follow the regime.

The tense and anxious state of the mother directly affects the baby, only increasing his anxiety. Try to give as much of your attention to your baby as possible, especially at bedtime. Your hugs and gentle touches soothe and relax him. Also, temporary joint sleep will help to survive the crises of the first year.

How to help?

To safely survive growth spurts in children under one year old, try to follow some rules:

Do not restrict breastfeeding. Even if it seems to you that the baby is hungry and there is not enough milk, you should not cancel breastfeeding. During a crisis, he needs to calm down, so the baby will “hang” on his chest for a long time.

The importance of tactile sensations. The child needs to be in contact with the mother. Try to pick up and hug your baby more often, this will help him cope with the changes that have come.

Give your child more attention. An affectionate conversation, a gentle song, any of your positive attention to the baby - all this gives the baby strength and self-confidence during the next growth spurt.

Games and learning new skills. At any age, it is important to give your baby space to explore objects on their own, whether it's a bright rattle or a noisy vacuum cleaner.

Finger games will help the baby in the knowledge of his body. And doing such ordinary things as self-washing, eating or helping with the housework will become an exciting game. Do not forget to praise your baby for any new achievement.

Walks. Going to visit or a walk in the park in any case expands the horizons of the baby, giving impetus to the development of new skills and abilities.

Don't overwork yourself. Growth spurts in babies can throw you off balance, but don't deviate too much from your baby's normal daily routine. This will help him to pass the next jump more easily and avoid overwork.

The results of growth spurts.

Without a doubt, every mother experiences special emotions when the baby rolls over from her back to her tummy for the first time or starts to crawl, trying to grab her favorite toy. And how much joy the turret, just built by the grown-up little one, causes.

All this the baby acquires as a result of growth spurts, which end sooner or later, and the acquired skills and abilities open up grandiose opportunities for the baby to learn about the world around him.

In addition, growth spurts in children under one year old can be calculated using the following table:

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Growth spurts in babies - BabySleep article on baby spurts by week

07/06/2016

1547053

970

Article

Tatyana Chkhquishvili

Head of the Online Program, Psychologist, Snape consultant and GV

Mom of two children

For the first 1.5 years of life, the child changes fantastically! Height, weight, physical skills and mental abilities - never again in his life will his development be so rapid.

But the development of the child does not occur evenly, but in leaps. Suddenly, unexpectedly, some new skill appears in the crumbs, and then for some time nothing new seems to happen. In fact, a new skill has a preparatory period, about a week. And this week is a real crisis for both the baby and the parents.

These developmental crises in children are noticeable and natural, Dr. Hetty Vandereit and Professor Frans Ploy - psychologists, specialists in the field of early childhood development - even created a special calendar of child crises.

But don't be afraid! Each crisis is a consequence of the development of the child, so these crisis weeks are more likely to add up to a calendar of jumps in the development of the child. Each crisis is a jump in the development of the nervous system, a jump in the growth of the brain, the emergence of new abilities in a child. For a baby, this is comparable to the discovery of a new, completely unknown world. Of course, this worries the child. During a crisis, he can worry, act up, cry, sleep and eat worse.

Change is too fast. They are incomprehensible to the child, he is excited and frightened. During a crisis, the baby really needs your attention and help. Be patient. It is in your power to help your child go through every crisis, every growth spurt easier and faster.

The growth spurt table shows how developmental spurts are distributed over the weeks of a baby's life. Weeks highlighted in light green show crisis. Lightning and blue color indicates the most difficult time. The crisis is followed by weeks marked in white - this is a calm period, the end of the crisis. The child successfully survived another leap and mastered something new. Until the next developmental leap and a new crisis, there will be a rather calm time when the baby consolidates new skills.

Child crisis calendar

Developmental leaps in children occur at about the same age. Up to 1.5 years, the child experiences 10 such jumps. At first, each crisis is short, and they often succeed each other. Gradually, the intervals between crisis periods lengthen, but the duration of each jump also increases.

If the baby was born prematurely, see the growth spurt calendar from the due date (DOT). If the baby was born late, start counting earlier, also with the PDD.

BabySleep prepared a series of articles about growth spurts in children. Learn how to recognize the approach of each crisis, what your child will learn after it ends, what difficulties may arise and how to help your child cope with them.