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Growth and DevelopmentIt is great to be able to click on to the Internet and find out information about how babies grow and develop. But it is vital to remember that it is impossible in such a forum to cater for the growth and development rates of individual babies. Growth rates vary tremendously between babies. Obsessions with percentile charts and weight gains can cause needless anxiety so please use this only as a general guide and ask someone reliable, such as your Dr or Baby Health Nurse# if you are worried. Development is a process that takes place over time. It is not a neat and tidy production of an assembly line product but a gradual progression of a small person as she grows and learns to interact with her environment and the people in it. Development continues throughout life. Indeed an important developmental phase for an adult is becoming a parent. Keep in mind that while babies pass through developmental stages in a similar order, the rate at which they do this varies considerably. Sometimes there are surges of development, at other times it can be quite slow. The variations are what make developmental milestones so exciting and such a memorable event in your life - not to mention your baby's! Shortcuts to the information on this page:What is growth?Percentile chartsUnderstanding the chartsGrowth - When to worryHead size and shapesWhat is development?Development - When to worryLinks to pages on development month by Month1 month 2 months 3 months 4 months 5 months 6 months 7 months 8 months 9 months 10 months 11 months 12 months ______________What is growth?Growth refers to an increase in size. This is easy to gauge by measuring length, weight and head circumference. Normal growth in healthy babies is obvious as they grow out of their clothes and their equipment. First babies get weighed and measured much more than subsequent babies who seem to survive just as well. Percentile chartsPercentile charts are prepared charts based on measurements of babies and children from a certain population (for example, all the babies in Australia in a certain year).As normal variations in height and weight are considerable, the percentile charts are drawn in measurements of a percentage to allow for the variations. If you look at the percentile charts you will see that the lines represent the fifth, tenth, twenty-fiftieth, seventy-fifth, ninetieth, and ninety seventh percentiles for weight, height and head circumference. Most babies' weight and length (called length when measured lying down, height when standing up) fall somewhere between the fifth and ninety-seventh percentile. Understanding the chartsIf your baby is on the fifth percentile for height and weight it means ninety five percent of babies are taller and heavier than he is. If he is on the ninetieth percentile for height and weight, it means he is taller and heavier than ninety percent of other babies.Both babies, although very different sizes are within the normal range. Head circumferences can also be charted on the percentile chart. A baby's head grows rapidly in the first year making it easy to check that it is growing at the right rate. Growth - when to worryIt is natural for you to watch your baby closely and to worry if he doesn't seem to be growing or putting on weight. You might find that you are upset by thoughtless comments, 'what a big/small, fat/thin, short/tall baby'. Most comments by onlookers are false perceptions. If you are concerned have your baby's length, weight and head circumference taken by someone reliable and plotted on a percentile chart. For a proper assessment, the weight and length need to be both taken and plotted together on the chart. Weight and height should be around the same percentile but there are always babies who weigh one or two percentiles below their height or one or two above. When they are alert, active and feeding well there is unlikely to be a problem. If low weight is a pattern and your baby's weight percentile is a long way below her height you may need to get specific help# depending on the age of your baby and what the problem might be. In otherwise healthy babies low weight gains usually relate to feeding issues (breastfeeding#, the need to introduce solids# or unnecessarily restricted diets.) It is normal for many babies' weights to level out between nine and twelve months, especially breastfed babies. It's a time when many babies start to become mobile, drink less milk and lose interest in eating huge spoonfuls of mush. Head size and shapesMost babies' heads grow at the expected rate but many babies' heads grow in what appears to be a lopsided way.It is common enough to be a cause of concern for many parents so here is some basic information. I must emphasise that if you are concerned please seek help# as it sometimes takes an expert to differentiate between the causes for lopsided heads. The vast majority of asymmetrical heads either need no attention or just simple changes to how the baby sleeps or is held. There are four main reasons why baby heads look lopsided. 1. The joints in your baby's head are movable to allow his head to pass through the birth canal during delivery. This is called moulding and is the reason why newborn baby heads can look lumpy and bumpy and a funny shape. Strange shapes due to moulding usually right themselves during the first few months. 2. Some heads are lopsided because the bones of the skull are soft and when babies sleep continually on their backs the part of the head they always sleep on gets flat. As the baby grows and becomes more mobile and rolls around in the night, the head shape becomes more regular. 3. The joints in the heads (called suture lines) gradually join and become 'fixed' by six months of age but are not solidly 'fused' until very late in childhood. When one of the suture lines joins more quickly than the others do, the head looks asymmetrical (lopsided). Most of these asymmetrical heads improve by themselves. A few don't and a small number may need surgery to correct the shape or to allow for proper brain growth. 4. Sometimes the head looks lopsided because the baby holds his head constantly to one side while looking to the other. Simple exercises are available from physiotherapists to encourage your baby to hold his head to the other side and look the other way. What is development?Development refers to your baby's ability to learn all the skills he needs to enjoy a good quality of life. As she grows the skills become increasingly complex. Most of them come naturally to healthy babies in the first year of life who have plenty of love and attention. Quite miraculous when you think about it, isn't it?Developmental achievements are called milestones. Milestones are grouped under the following main headings according to the parts of the body they are referring to. Large body movements (involves the co-ordination and control of large muscles and skills like walking, sitting, running). Small body movements or manipulation (involves the co-ordination and control of small muscles and skills like holding a rattle, picking up crumbs and scribbling with a pencil). Vision (the ability to see near and far and to interpret what is seen) Hearing and Speech Hearing is the ability to hear (receive) and listen (interpret) Speech is the ability to understand and learn language Social behaviour and Understanding These skills enable your baby to learn socially acceptable behaviour. They involve things like eating, communication, play and personal relationships. Developmental progress can be affected by a number of factors. Some cause temporary delay (prematurity and illnesses). Some disabilities cause permanent delay and sadly there are times when the baby's development suffers because of his environment. Sometimes it might seem like your baby has forgotten how to do something. Usually this is because he is learning how to do something else. You will find the old skills will reappear when he is ready. It's quite common for babies to keep repeating actions like waving, clapping or particular sounds then to suddenly stop for a while. Development - when to worryMilestones are only a guide. Unless there is a generalised delay in a few different areas over several months, it is unlikely there is anything wrong if your baby seems slow to do some things compared to other babies particularly if it's things like walking and crawling.But if you are ever concerned check it out. You know your baby better than anyone and have a good feel for what's happening. Here is a general guide. Seek help# if. * Your baby doesn't consistently respond to sounds * Your baby doesn't seem to see things or has white or cloudy eyes. Or if there is anything about his eyes that bothers you * He isn't interested in what's going on around him * He can't hold his head up by three to four months * Persistent or excessive crying# especially after three or four months * He doesn't move or use both arms and/or legs * He is not sitting well by ten months * He doesn't want to weight bear by twelve months. End of fact sheet Robin Barker 20(c)00 saftey notice and disclaimer |