POCKET GUIDE - Bright Futures - American Academy of Pediatrics

■■ infanCy
oVerView
infancy is divided into 3 stages. Physical growth, developmental
achievements, nutrition needs, and feeding patterns
vary significantly in each.
Early infancy (birth–age 6 months). The most rapid changes
occur during this stage.
Middle infancy (ages 6–9 months). During this stage growth
slows but is still rapid.
Late infancy (ages 9–12 months). During this stage growth
slows, but infants’ maturation and purposeful activity allow
them to eat a wider variety of foods.
■ infants usually regain their birth weight by 7 days after
birth, double their birth weight by age 4 to 6 months, and
triple their birth weight by age 1.
■ infants usually increase their length by 50% in the first
year, but the rate of increase slows during the second half
of the year.
■ growth rates of exclusively breastfed infants and formulafed
infants differ. Breastfed infants grow more rapidly
during the first half of the year but less rapidly during the
second half.
■ As infants grow, their ability to consume a greater volume
and variety of food increases. Newborns need small, frequent
feedings, whereas older infants are able to consume
more volume at one time and require fewer feedings.
■ infants learn to chew and swallow, manipulate finger foods,
drink from a cup, and ultimately feed themselves.
■ in late infancy, infants’ physical maturation, mastery of
purposeful activity, and loss of newborn reflexes allow
them to eat a wider variety foods, including foods with
different textures, than they were able to consume during
early and middle infancy.
■ Close physical contact between the infant and a parent
during feeding facilitates healthy social and emotional
development.
■ The amount and type of physical activity that an infant
engages in change dramatically during infancy.
■ At first, infants spend most of their time sleeping and eating.
over the next few months, infants slowly gain control
over their movements. With increasing control comes
more physical activity, including sitting up, rolling over,
crawling, standing, and eventually walking.
■ Development is an individual process. infants typically
acquire motor skills in the same order, but the speed at
which they acquire them is different.
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Bright FUTURES
Infancy