Published: 03/06/2010 by Mommalicious Mammas

GROWTH AND HEALTH

At Birth
* Head is about a quarter of the body length
* Head my be flattened on one side of even bullet shaped from the birth
* Hair my be coarse
*Skin is soft, reddish, and covered in vernix

0-8 Weeks
Anterior fontanelle (soft spot atfront of head) enlarges

0-12 Weeks
* Hair and nails grow rapidly

By 12 Weeks
* Posterior fontanelle (soft spot at back of head) can hardly be felt
* body skin is paler and smoother, although scalp may be scaly with Cradle Cap

CARE

0-2 Weeks
* Sleeps much of the time

0-6 Weeks
* Needs frequent small feeds

By 6 Weeks
* More obvious periods of sleep and wakefulness develop

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

At Birth
* Has little or no head control
* Holds fists shut tight and arms and legs bent
* Has many primitive reflexes - sucking, rooting, grasping, startle, stepping.

0-6 Weeks
* Primitive reflexed gradually disappear

0-12 Weeks
* Neck muscles strengthen.
* Trunk muscles strengthen.

10-12 Weeks
* Gradually uncurls from fetal position.
* Posture relaxes slowely

By 12 Weeks
* Can raise head and take weight on forearms when lying on front
* Spends much time moving arms and legs, learning muscle control.
* Has learned to like flat and no longer holds arms and lest bent all the time

HAND-EYE COORDINATION

10-12 Weeks
* Begins to stare at hands

By 12 Weeks
* Can reach towards moving objects, not always successfully.
* Grasps objects placed in his hand, but cannot let go at will.

SENSES AND LEARNING

At Birth
* Has limited vision, sees best at a range of 20-25 cm and squints at nearer objects
* Blinks when light falls on his face
* Watches mother's face intently
* Can hear
* Responds to sound with startle, blink or cry, depending on sound
* When startled whole body reacts

Early Weeks
* Can follow dangling toy with her eyes for a moment soon after birth

By 12 Weeks
* Has learned to adjust to near vision and can see further then 25cm.
* Can now follow a moving person with his eyes
* Makes more eye contact
* Learns to recognise faces other than his parents
* Quicker at noticing objects in front of him
* Can follow a dangling toy from one side to another
* Can localize sound by turning his head towards the source

COMMUNICATION

At Birth
* Uses whole body to express pleasure or pain

0-2 Weeks
* Makes fleeting smiling movements with mouth after a few days, but not at anyone in particular
* Responds to parents voices within the first few days

By 6 Weeks
* First social smile - a real smile using the whole face

From 7 weeks
* Practices vowel sounds ('oh', 'aw'), most often in response to parent.

0-8 Weeks
* Soon learns 'turn-taking' and is quiet when parent speaks, but moves and makes noises, as if actually conversing, when parent stops

0-12 Weeks
* Cries to expess needs and emotions

By 12 Weeks
* Still cries for needs, but also gurgles and coos spontaneously
* Smiles when spoken to
* Uses facial expressions more frequently
* Shows clear likes and dislikes: for instance, dislikes being hurried or bundled haistely from one person to another
* Begins to demonstrate pleasure by chuckling and even laughing.
* Relishes attention and cuddles.
* May say a few consonants (g, gn, p, b)