Newborns: Growth and Development

It's so amazing to watching our newborns grow and develop. The articles below will help you understand more about this process and will help guide you during this time. Other related areas at KidSource Online include: Newborn Learning and Newborn Learning Disabilities

Our rating system for these Growth and Development articles is:

• - Best, in depth and most helpful overall
• - Very Good, but more specific in focus
• - Good reference material

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	Child Health Guide - Put Prevention into Practice This is an outstanding 30 page guide from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that has information on preventative care and on good health habits. Use it as a permanent record to help you keep track of your child's health and care through the years. This guide contains many great growth charts, immunization tables and other quick-reference information that can help your child get a healthy start on life.
	Questions and Answers about Child Language This is a good overview of general topics about language development and potential language problems, and it has been provided by the American-Speech-Language Hearing Association.
	Early Childhood Growth Chart An Early Childhood Growth Chart for families and caregivers which gives age-appropriate activities to promote language development for young children.
	Brain development research-What it means for young children New insights into brain development affirm what many parents and caregivers have known for years, 1)good prenatal care, 2)warm and loving attachments between young children and adults, and 3)positive stimulation from the time of birth, really do make a difference in children's development for a lifetime. This article is taken from Rethinking the Brain: New Insights into Early Development by the Families and Work Institiute.
	Prevention of Sleep Problems It is much easier to prevent sleep problems than to treat them later. Parents look forward to getting a full night of sleep, but newborns awaken every few hours. This practical and very helpful article will help parents of children from birth to age one cope with many infant sleeping problems.
	Questions and Answers about Articulation Problems Written by the American-Speech-Language Hearing Association, this is a thorough set of questions and answers about articulation problems. These problems may result from physical handicaps, such as cerebral palsy, cleft palate or hearing loss, or may be related to other problems in the mouth, such as dental problems. However, most articulation problems occur in the absence of any obvious physical disability. The cause of these so-called functional articulation problems may be faulty learning of speech sounds.
	Early Identification of Speech-Language Delays and Disorders Early identification includes the evaluation and treatment provided to families and their children under 3 years old who have, or are at risk for having, a disability, or delay in speech, language or hearing. This article from the American-Speech-Language Hearing Association provides specific information about early identification and outlines specific questions parents should ask about this process.
	Starting Solids This brochure provides general guidelines for introducing infants to solid foods, as well as tips for keeping mealtime safe. Keep in mind that each baby is an individual and may be ready for different foods based on weight, nutritional needs and other factors. Ask your pediatrician, pediatric nurse practitioner, registered dietitian or other health care provider for specific feeding advice.
	NEJM Study Shows Children Born to Mothers with Untreated Thyroid Disease Have Lower I.Q.'s Untreated thyroid disease during pregnancy may negatively impact a child's psychological development, resulting in a significantly lower I.Q. score and a decrease in motor skills, attention, language and reading abilities, according to data published in today's New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
	Speech Development in the Infant and Toddler As children grow from infancy to toddlerhood, early childhood, and so on, parents are often keenly aware of what their child "should" be doing at any given age. One of the milestones that frequently causes parents great anxiety is the development of speech. This article outlines important aspects of speech development.
	Infant Day Care: The Critical Issues Parents often agonize over the decision about care for their infants. This article discusses the development of attachment (between mother and child), the effects of early separations, parent characteristics and family circumstances that may contribute to insecurity, and the potential benefits of secure attachment to a caregiver. It also discusses infant care quality and the debate on infant attachment.
	The Nature of Children's Play In play, children expand their understanding of themselves and others, their knowledge of the physical world, and their ability to communicate with peers and adults. This digest discusses children's play and its relationship to developmental growth from infancy to middle childhood. The digest also suggests ways in which educators and other adults can support children's play.
	Early Ways To Predict Poor Readers The article describes how children who have trouble reading often have underlying speech and language problems. Being able to predict which children will have trouble reading would allow speech-language pathologists and others to begin to work with them before they fail.
	Q & A about the Nutritional Content of Processed Baby Food This article contains a number of questions about the nutritional content of processed baby food. Answers to such questions as "Why is water added to baby food?" and "Why is texture important?" are found in this Q&A from the International Food Information Council Foundation.
	An Important Bond: Your Child and Caregiver Have you ever seen a child cling to a caregiver when his parents arrive to pick him up at a child care center? How about a child who greets her parents happily then returns to her activity, in no rush to go home? While such close attachments to caregivers and child care settings may make some parents initially uneasy, these bonds are an important part of children's development and learning. Working together, parents and caregivers can ensure that children see their educational settings as safe places where adults other than their parents support and care for them.
	Look Beyond the Obvious for Telltale Signs of Child Abuse The eyes may be the window to the soul, but the face offers the most telling glimpse behind the closed doors of child abuse. In a comprehensive study of 371 children who were suspected of being abused, injuries to the head and face accounted for 28% of 892 soft-tissue injuries.
	Maya Angelou National Institute for the Improvement of Child and Family Education The implications of the recently established Maya Angelou National Institute for the Improvement of Child and Family Education are that the institute positions the university to become a major force on child development issues and a partner in developing stronger family support systems. By creating an effective child development model -- one that supports the value of education, self-esteem, and family support -- children may be better armed to resist the negative influences that can rob them of their potential which may lead to teen pregnancy, suicide, or alcohol and drug abuse among others. Current research shows that certain behaviors in children that occur from birth through kindergarten may affect a child's life-long achievement.
	'OH, BABY!' Free Guides Help Parents Prepare In an effort to help consumers better understand and manage the various aspects involved with having a baby, the MetLife Consumer Education Center has created a series of three free brochures designed to help answer many of the "How Tos", "What Ifs?", and "Now Whats?" that often accompany first-time parents.
	Why, How, and When Should My Child Learn a Second Language? Most experts agree that the earlier a child is introduced to a second language, the greater the chances are that the child will become truly proficient in the language. In addition, children may derive other benefits from early language instruction, including improved overall school performance and superior problem-solving skills. Knowing a second language ultimately provides a competitive advantage in the work force by opening up additional job opportunities.