Physical Development Charts Show average weight height and

Physical Development

Charts • Show average weight, height and abilities of children at certain ages • Give general idea of growth and development • Remember: children change at different rates

Weight • Sign of good health • Lose weight after birth then gain weight rapidly • First six months: 1 -2 lbs per month • Last half of first year: 1 lb a month • Doubles in first 6 months • Triples by end of first year

Weight • 20 -22 lbs when 1 year old • Influenced by heredity, feeding habits and physical activity

Height • Growth is steady for first year • Newborn: 20 inches • One year: 30 inches • Heredity influences height more than weight

Growth vs Development Growth: refers to size Development: increase in physical, emotional, social or intellectual skills Both are rapid during 1 st year

Sight • Newborn’s vision is blurry at first, within a week they can see 7 -10 inches • One month: focus on objects 3 feet away • 3. 5 months: just like young adults

Sight • Prefer patterns with high contrast… alternating stripes, bulls eyes of faces. • Enjoy the color red

Sight • Depth perception: in the second month they become able to recognize an object is three dimensional not flat. • Hand eye coordination: gain increasing ability to move their hands/fingers precisely in relation to what is seen • 3 -4 months: begin to reach for objects they see.

Hearing • Develops before birth • Respond to sound in the uterus • At birth, can tell general direction of sound • Respond to tone of voice rather than to words

Smell • Smell isn’t development much… why? • Newborns to respond differently to odors • Within 10 days they can distinguish smell of mother from another person.

Taste • Taste develops rapidly • Show a preference for sweet tastes • They explore their world by putting everything in their mouths • How do we know this?

Voice • Newborns cry shrill but becomes softer as lungs mature • Changes take place in the mouth and throat to prepare for speech development and feeding

Teeth • Development of teeth begins in the 6 th week of pregnancy • Primary teeth appear 6 -7 months • Teething: painful for child • Teething rings • Ice on gums