InfantsInfantsPhysical DevelopmentPhysical Development

Body Proportions• Infant head is ¼ their total length• Adult head is 1/10 their total length• Long trunk• “pot-bellied” abdomen• Short legs

– Cause for “toddling”

Bones and Teeth• Mainly made of cartilage

– Lying in one position may flatten head– “tummy time”

• Ossification– Depositing of calcium and phosphorus– Skeletal frame becomes sturdy– 1 yr. Old has only 3 bones in hand; adult

has 28– Skull becomes one bone by 2nd year

Bones and Teeth continued

• Deciduous teeth– Nonpermanent are developed by

birth– Sequence is usually the same– Timing varies

Motor Development• Use and control of muscles that

direct body movements• Gross-motor skills- large muscles• Fine-motor skills – small muscles

Motor Skills Develop in 3 Patterns

A. General to SpecificB. Head to foot

1. head control2. trunk control

a. rolling over b. sitting

C. Leg control1. crawling2. standing3. walking

Motor Development continued

• Center extremities– Reflex is replaced by grasping

THE END