Exploring Normal Infant Development

Course Content

It has been identified that the first 1000 days in an infant’s life are critical due to the rapid growth and development in all areas.

A child’s development is measured in many ways including weight gain, growth in length, interactions with their environment & parents/caregivers, learning new tasks and making sense of information received through their senses.

The infant learns more about themselves through the movement of their muscles, joints and exploration of hands and feet, with the cognitive and socioemotional processes completing the experience and therefore it is important that as healthcare professionals, we know what to look for.

The importance of play in development explores and supports all areas of the infant’s development, but it is exposure and interaction that support the development. Child-rearing practices and culture play an important role in the development of an infant and their ability to meet not only their key milestones but supporting lifelong development. 

Learning Outcomes

In this session you will:

• Gain an understanding of how to support all areas of development (social, emotional, cognitive, gross and fine motor)
• Explore popular childrearing practices and the impact of culture on development
• Acquire knowledge about the role of play in development
• Gain an awareness of what parents/caregivers fear the most about growth and development