Maharashtra Board Class 11 Child Development Chapter 6 Infancy Physical and Motor Development PDF Download

Infancy: Physical and Motor Development

The word Infancy is derived from the Latin word 'Infans'. 'In' means 'not' and 'fans' means 'to speak'. It means the child who is not able to speak is an infant. It is the foundation period during which behaviour patterns, attitudes and patterns of emotional expressions are established. The period of infancy spans from birth to two years. The initial period is characterized by helplessness and radical adjustment; and later by rapid growth and the beginning of socialization.

Infancy can be further divided into three periods:

Neonatal (Birth to 15 days), Infancy (15 days to 18 months), Toddler (18 months to 2 years)

Activity: Match the Picture

Neonatal Period (Birth to 15 days) - Picture (a)

Infancy (15 days to 18 months) - Picture (b)

Toddlerhood (18 months to 2 years) - Picture (c)

Now let us see what are the developments that take place during this period.

Physical Development

Physical development is the development of the body and its parts. Changes in the body size, brain development, body proportions, development of sensory capacities, functioning of various body systems are all part of physical development. It is essential to know how children develop physically. Physical development influences children's behaviour both directly and indirectly. It also provides them with the opportunities to explore the world around them. Physical development is an important indicator of health and wellness. Although physical growth follows similar pattern in all children, the rate of development differs from individual to individual. It is also different from one stage to another and is affected by genetic, environmental and circumstantial influences.

Teacher's Note

Physical development means how a baby's body grows big and strong. Just like plants grow with water and sunshine, babies grow with good food and love from family.

Exam Trick

Remember: Physical development = Body growth. Think of it like a tree growing bigger each year. Every baby grows differently, but they all follow the same pattern.

Points to Remember

Physical development is about changes in body size and shape.
Different body parts grow at different speeds.
All children follow a similar pattern but grow at their own speed.
Good food and love help babies develop well.
Doctors check physical development to make sure babies are healthy.

Physical Development During Infancy

During infancy physical development proceeds at a rapid rate than at any other time after birth. However, it slows down at the end of the first year. Although the pattern of growth and development remains the same in all children, there are variations in the aspects of physical development. The general pattern of physical development during infancy is given below:

a) Height

The infant's length and weight increases during the first year of life.

The term length is used for the one-year-old infant because they cannot stand without support. After the completion of one year the term height is used.

The length of a normal baby at birth is already one third of his/her adult height.

By the end of the first year, the height of a typical infant is about 50 percent greater than that at birth.

At two years, infants are about half as tall as they will be as adults.

b) Weight

In the first fifteen days of life, most newborn infants lose 150-200 gms of weight as they are making adjustments to postnatal life.

After that, they grow rapidly and gain about 25-30 gms of weight per day for the first three months.

At 4-5 months, an infants weight approximately doubles that at birth and at one year, average normal babies weigh three times their birth weight.

At two years, the weight is 4 times that of the birth weight.

During infancy boys are generally taller and heavier than girls.

Activity: Compare the height, weight, body proportion (head circumference, shoulder, waist, length of legs) of young siblings / children (boys and girls) in your family.

c) Body Proportion

Children's body parts grow at different rates and their relative body proportions change as well.

Changes in the body proportions of infants occurs in an orderly and predictable pattern following the laws of development as mentioned earlier-the cephalocaudal and the proximodistal laws of development.

The head, chest and trunk grow fast, followed by the arms and legs, and finally the hands and feet.

However, there are variations in this pattern and that is why children become increasingly dissimilar in their appearance with each passing year.

During infancy, the head of the infant is approximately one fourth the size of their body length. This is because the brain which is nearly the adult size has to be accommodated.

The cranial region, the area over the eyes is proportionally larger than the rest of the head.

The infants have a small chin and nose, tiny mouth, a short neck, large and bulging abdomen and narrow shoulders.

In proportion to the body, their arms and legs are short.

By the end of infancy period, head growth slows down, while the trunk and limb growth increases.

The body proportions of boys and girls are similar during infancy.

Teacher's Note

A baby's head is very big compared to the body at birth. As the baby grows, the body catches up and becomes more balanced, just like how a tadpole changes into a frog.

Exam Trick

Remember: Baby's head = 1/4 of body length. By age 2, the baby looks more balanced. Think: Head grows first, then everything else catches up!

Points to Remember

Baby's head is one-fourth the size of the body at birth.
The head grows very fast in the beginning.
Arms and legs are short compared to the body at birth.
By 2 years, the baby's body becomes more balanced.
Boys and girls have similar body shapes during infancy.

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