Health and Social Care Level 3 Unit 4 P1

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Physical Development Physical development includes motor skills, co-ordination and the influence of hormones. Infancy ( 0-3) Human development begins after the union of male and female gametes or germ cells during a process known as fertilization (conception). When this happens only half of the fertilised eggs become babies. 3 days after fertilisation the egg is the size of a pin head and becomes embedded in the uterus. Labour begins when a women’s water break, this is the amniotic fluid that protects the baby. A new-born baby is called a neonate. When a baby is born midwife’s and nurses check the baby health using an Apgar score. An Apgar score is a measure of the physical condition of a new-born infant. It is obtained by adding points (2, 1, or 0) for heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, response to stimulation, and skin coloration; a score of ten represents the best possible condition. During the first 3years babies learn to control their muscles, this is called motor skill. Motor skills is a function, which involves the precise movement of muscles with the intent to perform a specific act, motor skills is defined into two parts gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills are larger movements a baby makes with his/her arms, legs, or feet, or his/her entire body. So crawling, running and jumping are gross motor skills. Fine motor skills are smaller actions. When your baby picks things up between his finger and thumb or wriggles his toes in the sand he's using his fine motor skills. A baby is also born with a number of physical reflexes. A reflex is an automatic and uncontrollable response to a physical change requiring no thought, here is an example of some reflexes. Rooting reflex- this reflex begins when the corner of the baby's mouth is stroked or touched. The baby will turn his/her head and open his/her mouth to follow and "root"
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