Very Important Things That New Parents Should Know
In this website, great deal of information in each weekly discussion about a baby’s mental, physical and social development. When these developmental changes occur are estimates of your baby’s developmental stage at a given time. Each developmental step represents an average; a baby’s own development occur from 6 to 10 weeks in either side of the week in which the discussion falls and be perfectly normal. Every baby develops in her own way. That’s what makes the baby unique.
What’s most important is that baby’s development progresses in a sequential way. By this we mean that baby uses skills she mastered to develop other skills. As your baby develops, she may focus on one task at a time. If she’s learning to walk and concentrating her efforts on balance and movement, her language development may slow for a while. When she becomes adept at walking, you may discover her babbling more and making new sounds.
Baby’s Personality and Temperament
Your baby’s personality and temperament can influence how he develops. Researchers once believed the environment and parental child-rearing practices influenced a baby’s personality more than anything else. Now they believe that babies are born with definite personality characteristics shaped by many factors, including genetics and experiences in the womb and during birth.
To assess personality, researchers study baby’s activity levels, eating and sleeping patterns, and how he interacts with his environment, among other traits. Some babies move around a lot-others are quiet and move little. Babies who move around a lot may achieve muscle control more quickly than a baby who is less active.
Some babies are more adaptable than others. An adaptable baby often has few problems when his environment changes, even drastically. A baby who does not adjust as easily may be cautious in his approach to a new situation. This may seem to affect his ability to learn quickly but really isn’t a problem if he learns something well.
Another area researchers look at is baby’s digestive system. Some babies have no problems with digestion from birth, while others may have digestive difficulties for months after birth. If a baby isn’t bothered by digestive upsets, physical, mental and social development may progress more smoothly because energy is not diverted to dealing with stomach distress.
It’s worth making an effort to understand your baby’s personality, because you will be more open to the way he develops if you understand him. If your baby is easy to get along with, not fussing or crying a great deal, he will probably adjust easily to various situations. Babies with this type of personality usually reach the various developmental milestones at about the time we discuss in each week, given a few weeks on either side as discussed earlier. A more-active infant may be more easily overstimulated, which can make it harder for him to focus on various developmental tasks. But don’t worry; many babies with this personality type learn to settle themselves in a short time, after which they progress more quickly.
However, development may not be evenly paced, with quicker gains in one area and slower progress in others.
A third personality type might be described as “shy.” Some babies are more withdrawn than others. They may resist new experiences and stimulation. These babies require more attention than other babies in the first few months of life. It’s a good idea to introduce new situations carefully to enhance this baby’s ability to deal with it. As time passes and you know your baby better, if you believe your baby is more inclined to this personality type, you may want to ask your pediatrician for advice on ways to help your child progress.
How Can You Help Your Baby?
You are the key to your baby’s development. You provide stimulation in many areas, an environment that promotes growth, and the love and encouragement every baby needs to motivate her. Provide your baby with activities, games and play that help her develop. Provide stimulating experiences. In each weekly discussion of this book, we give you games to play and things to do with baby that will help you both grow into your new environment.
A Note to Parents of a Premature Infant
You may be the parent of a “preemie,” a baby born before he was fully developed in the womb. It’s not an uncommon occurrence—about 6% of all babies are born before 37 weeks of gestation. Their growth is measured a little differently from a full-term baby’s. However, they should develop in the same sequence as a baby born at full term; just the timing will be different.
If your baby is premature, subtract the number of weeks he was premature from his actual birth age to get his “developmental age.” For example, if your son was born 8 weeks premature (before his due date), subtract 8 weeks from his chronological age. If he is now 12 weeks old (from his actual date of birth), his developmental age is only 4 weeks. He has used the time from his birthdate to his expected date of birth to finish developing as a full-term baby. After he reaches his full-term due date, he will begin to grow as if he were full term. Your doctor will chart his growth to make sure he is healthy. The most important thing your physician will watch for is evidence of the baby’s steady growth. Research has shown that by the time a premature infant reaches 2 years, his weight is average, and by the time he reaches 3-1/2 years, his height will also be average.
Don’t be alarmed if your premature baby seems to be slower to develop and to progress than other babies his age. If they are full-term infants, they’ve had a head start on development. Within a short time, your baby will be making similar strides. Studies have shown that babies born as early as 32 weeks have often caught up completely with their peers by age 2 (if they were spared serious complications of prematurity). If your son is consistently achieving developmental milestones, even at a slower pace than full-term babies, relax and enjoy him. Try not to compare his progress with other babies’… however, if you do, compare his progress to babies born when he was due!
A Well-Baby Book
This is a well-baby book. We do not attempt to cover problems or situations that occur when a baby is born very ill or with a major health problem. Parents who face a grave health problem with their baby do well to rely on their pediatrician and other healthcare providers to help them find the information and solutions they seek.
We chose not to cover topics in such a brief fashion that you might feel we were not serious about them. However, we do provide suggestions in the Resources section, page 492, about where to find answers about serious health issues.
When You Adopt a Baby
You may become new parents as a result of adopting a baby. What an exciting time this is for you! Your baby may not have grown under your heart, but he or she will quickly grow in your heart. We congratulate you on the arrival of your baby.
Adopting a baby can happen after you have been informed about the upcoming event months before baby’s birth. Or you may be waiting to adopt a child, and the arrival of your little one happens almost overnight.
We hope this website will supply you with the confidence most new parents need with a baby. If you have not had a great deal of time to prepare for the arrival of your baby, read the chapters that deal with preparing for baby’s birth {Before Baby’s Birth), what occurs while baby is in the hospital (Baby’s First 48 Hours) and the first few days of baby’s life.