The human body protects itself with involuntary reflexes, like blinking your eyes to avoid incoming debris or lifting your hand to your face to deflect a snowball. Reflexes are your body's way of interacting with the world when there isn't time to...
Caused by brain damage in utero, during or after birth, cerebral palsy describes several chronic conditions that impair the body and the muscles' ability to coordinate and move properly. Signs of cerebral palsy usually appear within the first few...
You are thrilled to bring your new baby home from the hospital. Every day with your little one is a new adventure. But there are a few strange things about your newborn. For example, newborns have poor vision: they can only see about 8 inches, and...
Infant reflexes, or primitive reflexes, are involuntary muscle reactions that occur when a baby is stimulated in a specific way. These movements cause specific muscles to produce a predictable reaction. These reactions help the baby survive...
For a mother, the sound of your baby crying can be agonizing. Your baby's cries cause a hormonal reaction that prompts you to pick up and nurture her, according to the AskDrSears.com website. This biological urge is important since babies cry to...
In some instances, bathing a baby in a bassinet is most convenient and practical. Many nurses teach mothers how to bathe their newborns right in the bassinet in the days following childbirth and prior to discharge from the hospital. Sponge-bathing...
Although babies develop at different paces, many newborns experience the same milestones during the first month of their life. On the outside, it may appear that all a newborn does is sleep, poop, cry and eat. In fact, newborns may need to eat...
The milestones associated with the physical developmental stages of a baby helps caregivers determine if he is developing properly. No two children develop their motor skills at the same rate; however, experts agree on normal signs of development....
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a condition that occurs due to damage to the brain. The areas of the brain involved are the ones that are responsible for controlling movement and posture. There are different types of CP and in most cases the cause is...
Women who are addicted to heroin are often given methadone, a synthetic narcotic, to take instead of heroin. Methadone withdrawal is probably the most common withdrawal seen in newborns, according to Marvin Wang, M.D. Mothers who take methadone...
A newborn's body rapidly adapts to its new environment outside of the womb, as it moves from a water environment to an air environment. Its body instinctively begins to breathe air, eat, regulate body temperature and eliminate waste. The reflexive...
Even the most seasoned parents often find the appearance and behavior of their newborn strange and unusual--after all; he is a brand new person with his own likes, dislikes and quirks. By keeping realistic expectations about your newborn's...
Children, from infancy through adolescence, grow and change significantly as they reach different stages. The physical development of an infant begins with total helplessness and uncoordinated movements. As that same infant grows into a young...
The term cerebral palsy is used to identify many conditions that affect posture and movement. It occurs when the brain is not able to send the appropriate signals to the body to control the muscles. It can occur during pregnancy, from an injury at...
Newborn babies are often a mystery to their parents. Adding to the mystery is the fact that crying is the only way newborns can communicate. After a few weeks, parents get to know their babies and can often tell when their babies are hungry or...
Newborns come home from the hospital and immediately begin confusing parents with some of their behaviors. When an infant stiffens her arms, it does not have to mean anything medically serious, although if the baby displays other troublesome...
Infancy refers to the first year of a child's life. During this time, a baby learns to use her muscles to explore and interact with her environment. Healthy leg development helps infants achieve several developmental milestones prior to standing...
At birth, infants have no control over their muscle responses. However, infants are born with reflexes, an automatic muscle response to a specific stimulus, such as the rooting and sucking reflex, that allows them to feed, and the "Moro" reflex...
Infants grow and develop at an astonishing rate. It is normal for parents to become concerned about their babies' development and want to make sure they are on the right track. While there are guidelines to consider concerning your baby's physical...
Neonatal seizures occur in approximately 1 percent of all newborns, neurologist Michael Wong, M.D. of Washington University School of Medicine states. Most occur in the first week of life and differ from epilepsy or seizures that occur in older...
As your baby gets older, you might be surprised to see her in constant motion, even before she can roll over or crawl. Babies learn about the world around them by moving their body and interacting with their environment. Your baby's arm movements...
Every new parent experiences anxiety about the ability to care for a newborn. Soon, you will realize that your baby is teaching you the basics through on-the-job-training and the rest comes from learning to trust your instincts. Unfortunately,...
Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe permanent motor damage. Cerebral palsy does not always indicate intellectual impairment, although two-thirds of people with CP have some mental disability, according to the National Institute of...
Hypoglycemia---blood sugar (blood glucose) less than 30 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) in the first 24 hours of life---occurs most frequently in newborn infants of diabetic mothers, babies who are small for gestational age (SGA) and premature...
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders affecting muscle and movement; it is caused by damage to the brain during pregnancy, at birth or in early childhood. The effects of cerebral palsy vary, depending on the degree of damage and on the area of...
Kernicterus is brain damage caused by high levels of bilirubin in the brains of newborn infants. Kernicterus is caused by high levels of bilirubin in a baby's blood, a condition known as jaundice, or hyperbilirubinemia, according to the Merck...
The first year of a child's life is spent communicating entirely through nonverbal means. Infants use every part of their bodies to convey their wants and needs as their parents and caregivers respond to meet them. Dr. Bruce Perry states that this...
The infant period is generally defined as birth to 1 year of age. During this time, discernible physiologic changes occur in all organ systems. In addition, your infant develops the ability to respond to external stimulation. At birth, he has...
