Physical and Cognitive Development in Infancy - Essay Example

With a newly born baby, there is need to consider physical development through engaging the baby in physical activities. Physical activities can help the baby to relax and enjoy sleep, increase the rate of physical development and also help parents notice deformities as early as possible. While conducting the physical activities, the parents should be quite observant on how the babies react to every physical activity. Interpretation of the reaction should be dependent on the standard reactions and expectations of the universal standard for physical development. For a newly born baby, some of the most common physical activities that the parent ought to engage their babies in are in the scope of setting aside babys tummy time, stroking the baby with soft strokes and changing the direction that the baby sleeps. The above three routines can aid in the development of physical development components sensory, motor and feeding milestones. Tummy time involves the baby lying on its tummy, boosting the baby ability develop central lower body and upper body movements, besides strengthening and synchronization to lift the head. Tummy time also helps the baby for the onset of crawling. Stroking the baby with soft strokes or a soft material can help boost the babys ability to respond to touch and voices and other sense. Changing the direction that the baby sleeps, enables the baby to have a synchronized development in head turning and flexing of arms and leg, main muscle areas.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

The three activities of developing sensory and physical development should aid the parent in noting whether the baby behaves in a normal manner. For example, the soft strokes or using a soft feather can help the parent in noting motor skills such as blinking, babisnki, rooting and babkin. The above are reflex terms that denote what happens when the baby is stroked softly on the either the cheek, side of the foot or using a puff of air. The reflex reaction should be of different magnitude. With time, the parent should be able to not if the baby can make a coordination of one or more movements. For example, the parent should note what happens when the baby is stroked or lying on its belly.

Coordinated movements include activities such as the baby turning its head and opening the eyes or blinking. The above coordination of movements can only be achieved if the baby undergoes rigorous physical development exercises. The rigorous exercises can be of much help if they are carried in circular reactions, in the sense that the combination of setting aside babys tummy time, stroking the baby with soft strokes and changing the direction that the baby sleeps is repeated in circles. Repeating the above moves can boost both the cognitive and physical development of the baby. When babies are exposed to patterns of activities, it helps them to boost their cognitive development and easily gets in position to coordinate motor movements too.