Module 09: Care of An Infant and Family (Part 01) Flashcards
What age range defines the infancy period?
1 month to 1 year.
This time of a child is characterized to be where the growth and development of physical changes is so dramatic.
Infancy
Why is infancy considered a dramatic period of physical growth and development?
Because the infant’s body systems undergo rapid, progressive maturation, with simultaneous development in areas like fine motor skills and language skills.
This intends to identify the milestones or changes in the development of the infant.
Care of an Infant and Family
What developmental direction does the infant’s physical growth follow?
(A) Cephalocaudal (head to toes) and
(B) Proximodistal (central to periphery)
Acquisition of different skills could be current or simultaneous.
How rapid is the growth rate in the first six months of an infant’s life?
Growth is very rapid, with significant milestones occurring quickly (FIRST SIX MONTHS AND BIRTH, 0 TO 30 DAYS).
At what rate does an infant’s brain grow during this period?
The brain grows to about half the size of an adult brain by the end of infancy.
Describe the development of an infant’s nervous system.
Body temperature stabilizes gradually as infants initially lack sufficient body fat to regulate temperature and are prone to hypothermia.
These motor abilities refer to the ability of infants to utilize their hands.
Fine Motor Skills
These motor abilities refer to the big muscles of lower extremities for crawling, creeping, standing on its own, running and walking.
Gross Motor Skills
What indicates the development of an infant’s visual abilities?
Eyes begin to focus and fixate on objects, such as following a red pom-pom stimulus.
How does an infant’s cardiovascular system develop during infancy?
(A) The heart doubles in weight,
(B) Heart rate slows as ventricles develop, and
(C) Blood pressure rises.
What is the basic task of all infants?
SURVIVAL (breathing, sucking, eliminating, digesting)
This is important because it reflects infant maturity and growth of their body organs.
Interaction of external stimulations in order to grow and develop.
How much weight does an infant typically gain weekly until 5-6 months of age?
150 to 210 grams (5-7 oz) per week (VERY RAPID DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS)
Why might an infant lose weight in the first few days after birth?
Due to the elimination of fluids and other bodily secretions (THEY LOSE WEIGHT AFTER TWO TO THREE DAYS).
How does an infant’s birth weight change by 6 months and 1 year?
(A) Birth weight doubles at 6 months.
(B) Birth weight triples at 1 year of age.
Why are bottle-fed infants at a higher risk for childhood obesity compared to breastfed infants?
Bottle-fed infants may consume more due to the higher sugar content in formula milk, leading to increased weight gain.
These infants tend to self regulate their energy intake and may have a lower risk of excessive weight gain compared to formula-fed infants.
Breastfed Infants
These infants tend to have an augmented risk in developing childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Bottle-fed infants
What is the average height increase per month for an infant until 6 months?
Approximately 2.5 cm (1 inch) per month.
What is the normal birth length among infants?
46 to 54 centimeters
How does an infant’s length change by 1 year?
Birth length doubles by 1 year, with growth mainly occurring in the trunk rather than the legs.
How much does an infant’s head circumference increase during the first 6 months?
About 2 cm (0.75 inch) per month (per month for the first six months).
How much does an infant’s head circumference increase from six months to to 12 months?
Increases approximately 0.4 or 0.5 cm (0.2 inch) until 12 - months
By what percentage does brain weight increase by the end of infancy?
Brain weight increases to approximately 2.5 times its birth weight by the end of infancy.
What is the average head circumference of an infant at birth, and how does it change by 6 and 12 months?
Birth head circumference is around 34-35 cm, increasing to about 43 cm at 6 months and 46 cm by 12 months.
These are soft spots on an infant’s skull that allow for brain growth and expansion; they close as the infant matures.
Fontanels
When do the anterior fontanels typically close in an infant?
The anterior fontanels close around 12-18 months of age.
When do the posterior fontanels typically close?
The posterior fontanels usually close within 6-8 weeks after birth.
How does an infant’s chest circumference compare to head circumference by 12 months?
By 12 months, chest circumference approximately equals head circumference.
What is the approximate chest circumference of an infant at birth, and how does it change by 12 months?
At birth, chest circumference is around 32-33 cm.
How does the growth rate of an infant’s heart compare to the growth of the rest of the body?
(A) The heart grows less rapidly than the rest of the body.
(B) The weight of the heart doubles by the end of the first year.
How does an infant’s respiratory rate change from birth to the end of the first year?
It slows from 30-60 breaths per minute at birth to 20-30 breaths per minute by the end of the first year.
Describe the respiration of infants.
Respiratory movement is abdominal. This is because their intercostal muscles are underdeveloped, so they rely more on the diaphragm for breathing.
Why are infants at a higher risk for respiratory infections like pneumonia?
Due to their immature immune system,
(A) Small airway size and lumen
(B) Reduced mucus production, and
(C) Undeveloped IgA levels, which limits their ability to clear pathogens.
What makes upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) common in infants?
Small airways and a close connection from trachea to bronchi enable quick spread of pathogens, increasing the risk of infections.
How does the structure of an infant’s Eustachian tube increase the risk of ear infections?
The Eustachian tube is short and straight, allowing infections to easily move from the pharynx to the middle ear, leading to otitis media.
This is a pattern where the heart rate increases with inspiration and decreases with expiration.
Sinus Arrhythmia
How does an infant’s heart rate change from birth to the end of the first year?
Heart rate decreases from 120-160 bpm at birth to 100-120 bpm by the end of the first year.
How does blood pressure change in infants during the first year?
Blood pressure gradually increases from around 80/40 mmHg at birth to about 100/60 mmHg by the end of the first year.
This rises due to the increasing strength of the ventricles as they develop the ability to pump blood more effectively through systemic circulation.
Systolic Pressure
This initially decreases in the first three months, then gradually returns to near-birth values as the cardiovascular system matures.
Diastolic Pressure
AT what age does physiologic anemia begin?
2 to 3 ,months of age
What are the typical hemoglobin (HgB) levels in physiologic anemia?
9 to 11 g/dL
Is treatment required for physiologic anemia in infants?
No, because physiologic anemia in infants is normal and does not require any treatment.
How long is fetal hemoglobin (HgbF) present in an infant’s body?
Present for the first 5 months of life
When does adult hemoglobin begin to increase in infants?
Adult hemoglobin begins to increase steadily around 6 months of age.
This condition occurs due to the presence of fetal hemoglobin, which uses iron stores from the mother and depresses erythropoietin, leading to a decreased RBC production and shorter RBC lifespan.
Physiologic Anemia
When do digestive processes begin functioning?
At around 3 months of age
What is a common sign of developing digestive system among infants?
DROOLING (common due to the immature digestive system).
Why is swallowing difficult for young infants?
Because infants have a poorly coordinated swallowing reflex.
Which substances aid in gastric digestion in the infant’s stomach?
(A) Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
(B) Renin
Where else does digestion occur among infants aside from the stomach?
Takes place in the duodenum, aided by pancreatic enzymes like AMYLASE.
Why do bits of undigested food sometimes appear in the infant’s stool?
Because the infant’s digestive system is immature and cannot fully breakdown certain foods.
Which pancreatic enzymes help breakdown casein found in milk?
(A) Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
(B) Renin
(They break casein down and form a curd).
These pancreatic enzymes are known to help break down fats and protein during digestion.
(A) Lipase
(B) Bile
This pancreatic enzyme is known to help break down complex carbohydrates during digestion.
AMYLASE
This pancreatic enzyme is known to help breakdown proteins into polypeptides and amino acids.
TRYPSIN
How is the liver characterized during infancy?
(A) Immature throughout infancy.
(B) Immature for the first year, especially in bodily processes like glucogenesis, formation of proteins and ketones, storage of vitamins, and deamination of amino acids.
What causes jaundice among infants?
High levels of bilirubin (gives yellowish tint to the skin, eyes and the stool).
This maternal antibody offers immunity approximately 3 months against antigens of which mothers are exposed to.
IgG
When does immunoglobulin G reach its adult level?
Reaches 40% of its adult level by 1 year (It is important for fighting viral infection and is characterized to be the only antibody that crosses the placenta.
This antibody is produced at birth. These are found in the blood and lymph nodes, where they are characterized to first respond when there is an infection.
IgM
When does immunoglobulin M reach its adult level?
Reaches its adult level by 9 to 12 months.
When do antibodies like IgA, IgD, and IgE reach maximum levels?
Reach maximum levels in early childhood.
This antibody is present in the nose, respiratory system, and saliva. And it is also abundant in BREAST MILK, where it promotes probiotic bacteria, protecting gastrointestinal tract from pathogens like E coli and diarrhea.
IgA
These antibodies protect the body from bacteria, cancer cells, and other microorganisms.
(A) IgD
(B) IgE
Why are infants at higher risk for dehydration?
Because infants have immature renal structures, making it difficult to concentrate urine.
At what age do kidneys begin to mature in infants?
Occur during 30 months of age onwards.
How frequent should infants typically void?
Infants void frequently, producing 15 to 60 ml/kg of urine per 24 hours.
What is the normal specific gravity (SG) range for an infant’s urine?
The specific gravity of infant urine typically ranges from 1.008 to 1.012
(It is low because of their immature kidneys, wherein they cannot concentrate urine well, thus resulting in low specific gravity).
This among infants would indicate dehydration (darker urine).
HIGH SPECIFIC GRAVITY
(Low specific gravity suggests adequate hydration).
This condition is known as low urine output defined as less than 0.5 ml/kg/hr in infants.
Oliguria
At what age does adipose tissue increase among infants?
Increases around 6 months of age.
This tissue is important because it is characterized to insulate the body against heat loss.
ADIPOSE TISSUE
How does an infant’s body respond to cold?
An infant shivers (thermogenesis) to generate warmth in response to cold.
These are teeth characterized to be present at birth.
Natal Teeth
These are teeth characterize to erupt within the first 4 weeks of life.
Neonatal Teeth
These are teeth, characterized to be a temporary set of teeth in children.
Deciduous Teeth (also known as baby teeth)
What are the main areas of development in infants?
(A) Motor development
(B) Sensory development
(C) Language development
(D) Emotional development