This paper will analyze six scholarly research articles that explore the growth of infants and/or toddlers. The articles examine physical, cognitive, and social or psychosocial aspects. Also, a 30-minute observation of Willow, a one-month-old infant, and Emmett, a 13-month-old toddler, will be conducted. The observation will specifically focus on their physical development such as body shape and motor skills, as well as their cognitive and social development. Moreover, the results from the observation will be compared to the information gathered from the scholarly articles.
Both articles emphasize the importance of music and nutrition in promoting child development. The first article focuses on how music can improve various aspects of development, including social skills, physical coordination, cognitive abilities, and language acquisition. It also mentions that music offers opportunities for practicing patterns, mathematical concepts, and critical thinking skills.
The second article highlights the positive effects of improved nutrition and enhanced learning experiences during early childhood. It emphasizes that both factors benefit children by improving their overall well-being and educational outcomes. Furthermore, it suggests that efforts to enhance nutrition for infants and toddlers can be linked with interventions aimed at supporting child development for those under 3 years old.
The significance of offering a variety of sensory experiences to newborns and toddlers is emphasized in the third article. These experiences should encompass hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Establishing a nurturing environment for infants includes providing a calm sleeping area, a secure space for observing others, and adequate training and support for caregivers. The fourth article centers on a study that tracked 80 full-term newborns from 3 days old until they reached 6 years old.
The Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale, conducted at 3 days postpartum, was utilized to evaluate neonatal behavior. This assessment anticipated the progression of infant mental and psychomotor abilities. The Bayley Scales for Infant Development were subsequently employed to assess infant mental and psychomotor development at both 4 and 12 months. Moreover, child intelligence was measured using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence at age 6 years. It was discovered that general irritability during the neonatal stage predicted mental development at 12 months. In addition, self-regulation behaviors served as predictors of psychomotor development at both 4 and 12 months, as well as verbal and total intelligence quotient at age 6 years.
Neonatal orientation and self-regulation behaviors were found to be predictors of performance on Wechsler subtests related to vasomotor abilities, attention, infant development, and intelligence. The authors suggest that the NBAS could be a useful tool for observing behaviors related to later development in healthy infants (Canals, Hernandez-Martinez, Fernandez-Ballart, 2011). According to the fifth article, research is reaching a consensus that nutritional intervention can positively affect individuals at any stage.
Iron deficiency can have long-term effects, especially in young children and fetuses. Nutrient deficiencies are more detrimental when they occur early in life, leading to a decline in cognitive function among children with iron deficiency. However, participating in a comprehensive nutrition replacement program and educational intervention can result in improvement. Additionally, younger children are more susceptible to the negative cognitive consequences of iron deficiency anemia.
Early intervention is crucial to address the multiple factors that affect a child’s growth and development. The sixth article of the study focused on these factors, such as heredity, nutrition, illness and disease, physical and emotional environment, social environment, age, gender, birth process, among others. The familial setting plays a significant role in a child’s growth and achieving developmental milestones at the right time is important for neurological well-being. Identifying and documenting any developmental delays can aid in preventing long-term challenges and disabilities.
In a previous study, it was discovered that the perception of development status remains consistent regardless of factors such as child’s age, parents’ schooling and occupation, and number of siblings. The way we raise our children profoundly affects their future behavior as both children and adults. Some individuals believe in possessing an innate parenting instinct that is shaped by their child’s actions. Others consciously or subconsciously adjust their parenting techniques based on their own parents or other caregivers. Observation: Willow, who is 4 weeks old, exhibits frequent smiling behavior for an infant her age.
When lying on her tummy, she lifts her head, reacts to sound, and gazes at faces. Although her vision is not great, she will temporarily track things with her eyes, responding to voices with oohs and coos. Willow will suck her thumb or fist, and if they are removed, she will whimper and fuss. To communicate her needs, whether it’s hunger, wetness, dirtiness, or discomfort, Willow will cry to let her mom know. At this point in her development, Willow doesn’t move much; most of her movements are involuntary. She hasn’t started exploring her surroundings yet. Through consistent and patient responses to her cries, Willow is learning trust from her parents. She is quietly alert and can display distress or contentment.
Willow is responsive to her mother’s voice, showing movement in her eyes, kicking, and flailing her arms. She is growing more aware of her surroundings, with improvements in her vision and hearing. Despite interactions with people, Willow’s temperament remains unchanged, allowing her to be passed from person to person. In contrast, Emmett is an active 13-month-old who recently learned to walk. When walking, he spreads his chunky legs apart and raises his equally chunky arms for support.
Emmett has recently transitioned from an infant to a chunky toddler body in the past month. He is now able to explore his surroundings better with this new physique. Emmett can follow simple instructions like “go to daddy” and has started to speak a few words including Mama, Dada, sis, ball, baba, hi, and bye. When he needs something, Emmett uses gestures such as holding his arms out to be picked up. He also shows his disinterest by turning his head away. With his newfound ability to walk, he is very curious about his environment. Emmett shares a strong bond with his mom, dad, and older sister.
Emmett demonstrates his ability to differentiate between familiar individuals and strangers. Upon the arrival of my husband, Emmett immediately cried and sought comfort from his mother, taking cover behind her legs. His father, mother, and sister were each asked to leave the room individually. However, Emmett displayed no reaction when his father and sister departed. Yet, as soon as his mother left, he cried and crawled towards her. I embraced him and attempted to console him through rocking and singing. After a few minutes, he began to smile and laugh. Nevertheless, when his mother returned to the room, Emmett resumed crying while reaching out for her.
References
Canals, J., Hernandez-Martinez, C., Esparo, G., & Fernandez-Ballart, J. (2011). Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale as a predictor of cognitive development and IQ in full-term infants: a 6-year longitudinal study. Acta Paediatrica, 100(10), 1331-1337. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2011.02306.x
Engle, P., & Huffman, S. (2010). Growing children’s bodies and minds: maximizing child nutrition and development. Food And Nutrition Bulletin, 31(2 Suppl), S186-S197
Irwanto, A. (2010). THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTING ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN TODDLERS. Folia Medica Indonesiana, 46(4), 237-240
Marshall, J. (2011). Infant Neurosensory Development: Considerations for Infant Child Care Early Childhood Education Journal ,39(3) ,175-181 . doi :10 .1007 /s10643 -011 -0460-
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