Ch 16 Infants

During neonatal phase: chief task is establishing effective feeding

patterns and predictable sleep-wake cycle
Parental bonding/Social interaction begin in infancy
The infant can sit alone without support at about 8 months of age.
Prehension: ability to grasp objects between fingers and the opposing
thumb
o occurs 5-6 months
Parachute Reflex: protective arm extension when infant thrust
downward (7-9 mo)
Pincer Grasp: by age 1
The infant can usually drink from a cup when it is offered at about 5 months.
For the majority of children, the milestone of walking alone is achieved
between 12 and 15 months
Coping with Irritable Infant
o Shield infants eyes from bright light
o Sit quietly with infant without talking or singing
o Eliminate noise from radio, television, and computer
o Talk in soft voice
o Change infant position slowly
o Stop interaction and reduce environmental stimuli
o Swaddle infant snugly
o Provide nonnutritive sucking
o Rock infant slowly and gently
o Avoid sudden movements
o Cradle infant firmly in lap during feeding and sucking efforts
Colic: use the colic carry (hold infant face down and close to body while
supporting the abdomen and provide gentle rocking motion)
Some infants shut down when theyre over stimulated
Denver Developmental Screen Test: widely used test to determine
development of social, fine-motor, adaptive, language, and gross
motor abilities (birth to age 6)
The posterior fontanelle closes between 2 and 3 months of age.
Only one new food is offered in a 4- to 7-day period to determine tolerance.
The first teeth to erupt, usually at about 7 months, are the lower central incisors.
New solid foods should be introduced before theyre fed formula or
breast milk to encourage the infant to try new foods.
Fruit juices at 5-6 months of age
Drinking from cup at about 5-6 months of age
NO orange juice until 1 year old
NO honey in diet until 1 year old
Weaning occurs at about 2 years of age, but may be later for some
cultures
Delay introduction of highly allergenic foods: fish, nuts, strawberries,
chocolate, egg whites
DAILY LIQUID:
o 140-160mL/kg/day (3 month old)
o 130-155mL/kg/day (6 month old)
o 120-135mL/kg/day (1 year old)
o 90-100mL/kg/day (6 year old)
Extrusion reflex: protrusion of the tongue which pushes food out of the
mouth and disappears by 3-4 months
Stomach capacity: 10-20 mL at birth and 200 by 12 months
Feeding guideline
o Infant should gain 4-7oz per week for first 6 months
o Infant has 6 wet diapers per day
o Infant sleeps peacefully several hours after feedings
o Remain on human milk or iron-fortified formula for at least first
year
Signs of satiety:
o Falls asleep when full (birth-3 months)
o Body relaxed(birth-3 months)
o hands relaxed (birth-3 months)
o Withdraws head from nipple(birth-3 months)
o Tosses head back (3-5 mo)
o ejects nipple (3-5 mo)
o easily distracted by surroundings (3-5 mo)
o plays with nipple (3-5 mo)
o Changes posture (6-9 mo)
o Closes mouth (6-9 mo)
o Plays with utensils (6-9 mo)
o Shakes head no (6-9 mo)
o Shakes head no (10-12 mo)
o Sputters food (10-12 mo)
o Throws food to floor (10-12 mo)
Enfamil A.R. used for infants with reflux or GERD
Infants with PKU cannot breastfeed exclusively and require special
formula
3,6, or 7 plastics ARE NOT safe to reuse (have BPA)
Push-Pull toys appropriate for a 1 year old
A rear-facing infant car seat should be used for infants younger than 1 year of age.