It is known that then stimulation of infants during the first few months is important for proper development to take place. Following, we will review the importance of both a stimulating environment and the need for physical stimulation provided by caregivers.
A lot of emphasis has been placed on physical, mother-infant, interaction, but studies have shown that inanimate stimulation is as important as social stimulation. Yarrow, Rubenstein, Pedersen, and Jankowski (1972) examined the importance of stimulation from caregiver interaction and the natural environment. The emphasis of their work was to study the impact of "disadvantaged" environments on infant development. What their work did show was that the environment of the infant was just
…show more content…
When we look at infants in orphanages in Romania, we find children that are deprived of the complex physical contact normally received by other children that have a dedicated caregiver. These children show serious intellectual deficits, and although they show improvement later, they never catch up to their peers who were raised in more traditional environments (Berk, 2014). When we look at premature infants, who spend a large amount of their time in incubators, we find that they show slower gains in mass and motor function then their peers. Now, when premature infants are given 15 minutes of mechanosensory stimulation, three times a day for ten days, they show an increase in weight along with more time awake and active. They also would show more improvement than their unstimulated peers based on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (Ardiel & Rankin, 2010)
The effects of stimulation on infant development cannot be understated. The more research that has gone into the importance of this the more emphasis is placed on attempting to correct sensory deprivation. In hospital NICUs we see more interaction with children that are born premature. We are also seeing a greater emphasis on placing orphaned children into homes where they can benefit from direct caregiver contact and have a more stimulating environment to explore. Now, more than in the past, we see the need
Lastly, children must receive the appropriate stimulation so that they can have positive learning and development. Practitioners must offer numerous different activities to suit a variety of children as all children are unique and progress in different ways and at different stages. However, if children do not receive appropriate stimulation their overall learning and development will be
An explanation of the impact of current research into development and learning of babies and young children.
It is important that a child get stimulation so they have more opportunities to learn and thrive in social setting and intellect. Interest and
Warm, attentive care, especially during the first year of life, helps babies to gain a sense that the world is a safe and
0–3 years – It is important that a baby is stimulated from when they are first born, because this helps them develop communication skills as they get older.
Early childhood is the most important phase of development in one’s lifespan as the experiences during childhood sets the course for later stages of development. It has been noted that a mother’s actions during pregnancy may influence the development of an infant. The developmental influences include prenatal, perinatal and neonatal environments. (Santrock, 2002) Although babies come into the world with no say or control over which family they will be placed into, or the environment in which they will begin to live in, theorists agree that the first two years are crucial, with early emotional, physical and social development influenced by the infant’s biological and environmental factors (Sigelman, Rider, & De-George Walker, 2013). The
The first hour of life for an infant doing skin to skin contact with their mother provides warmth, protection, and nutrition. The closeness of being on the mother’s chest provides a continuation of hearing the mother’s heartbeat and voice. This is the one place an infant feels most content knowing all their needs are met.
There are many factors that can influence the development of infants and toddlers. Two of the largest are biological and environmental influences. Biological influences can include gender, prenatal care, and the mother’s prior states of health. Environmental influences are widely ranged and can include, but are not limited to, income, housing, teratogens, and stimuli. While these two influences are different, they sometimes interlock, creating a cycle within each other.
Research has shown that the way the caregiver and infant interact has a significant effect on the maturation of the infant's nervous system,
Infant learning and brain development is fragile and contingent upon numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The most critical time frame for infant brain development is from the second trimester to the first three months of life (Marshall, 2011). During this time, neural pathways are forming, areas of the brain are maturing, and brain development is rapid. From infancy until the age of 3 years, neural pathways are still being formed in response to stimulation and for this reason, it is extremely important for caregivers and parents to be aware of the many factors that can influence brain development in infants (Marshall, 2011).
Attention to every stage of a child’s physical, emotional and educative development is “both critical and vital” (Alison Dunn, 2004). Research shows that the care young children receive has dramatic long-term effects on how children develop and learn, how they cope with stress, and how they react to the world around them. “Science tells us that consistently positive and stimulating experiences in their early years helps children’s brains to grow” (Frank Oberklaid, 2008); it can also affect how they continue to learn later on in life.
Infants are a special cohort of a population in the society. Children between the ages of five months to two years are at a stage where they start familiarizing with their surroundings and have different reactions to situations. The surrounding where an infant grows greatly determines his or her development. The primary determinant of the development of infants is the parent-infant interaction (Crain, 2015). The first bond or relation of a child is with its biological parents or guardians in the case of orphaned children.
The development of a child in the first year of life is extremely intense; in just 52 weeks’ an infant goes through major physical, cognitive and social and emotional developments.
Infancy is far from what some have assumed – a time for rigidly and mechanically handling the baby because he seems to have so little capability as an adapting human being. The following developmental tasks are to be accomplished in infancy:
I think this research is vital for understanding how deprivation and early stimulation can have an effect on children and I hope it will help emphasize the importance of early intervention to give these children the best possible chance at