Developmental Assessment of Child YY: a two months old baby boy

Growth and development

Growth and development are important processes in children because they help them transition from one stage of life to the next. Development is a qualitative process of psychological and psychosocial change, whereas growth is the rise in body size, shape, and weight. Development is an ongoing process, yet growth comes to an end at a particular age. The process by which a child grows from infancy to maturity is referred to as child development. It is a phase of physical, cognitive, and social development that begins at birth and lasts until the kid reaches maturity. Assessment of developmental status in a child is a fundamental aspect used to predict and determine the future behaviors of the child and how the child is going to grow. The aim of the assessment is to identify any abnormalities that are present and recommend appropriate actions. At the same time, the assessment aims at preventing future mistakes that can hinder the development of the child. The assessment does not only include the child alone but also the immediate family that provides care to the child and the home environment where the child grows. The description of developmental assessment below represents Child YY, a two months old baby boy born on 3rd September 2017.

Assessment of growth parameters

The child has a normal growth rate about the parameters indicated during birth. The weight of the baby is at 5.8 kgs showing an increase of 2.2kgs since birth. The length of the infant is at 58cm showing an increase of 4cm since birth. The other parameter is the head circumference, and the baby measures 38 cm representing a normal value as per the accepted head circumference measurements. The growth charts below represent the parameters described above.

Assessment of the nutritional status of the child

Nutritional status assessment involves parameters like intake and output of the child, weight gain or loss and the provision of any special diet to the child. Child YY is in a good nutritional status evidenced by a weight gain for the past two months. The mother reports that she has been breastfeeding the baby exclusively. The baby is well conformed, he breastfeeds well up to 10 times a day, and he passes stool well. The mother reports no problem in the feeding status of the baby. It is important to note that all the nutrients required by the baby comes from the mother and therefore nutritional assessment of the mother is important. The mother feeds well with a balanced diet all the time, and she reports a good appetite thus the security of the baby’s nutritional needs is catered for by the mother.

Developmental aspects of the child

Developmental aspects in infants refer to the physical, emotional, cognitive and social developmental changes that occur during growth of the child. It is good to note that the aspects are interrelated. Starting with the physical changes, the child can turn the head from side to side but does not localize the direction where the sound comes from. Child YY has a good suckling, Babinski and grasping reflexes. Movement of the upper and lower limbs is good and spontaneous. On the emotional and social development, the child can smile and show some degree of excitement when elicited. The child is also able to cry when pinched to show anger and feelings. The most important part in this aspect is that the child can recognize her mother and once placed in the hands of someone else, he starts to cry. The cognitive development is not well established although the child can detect sweet food and bitter one thus a good sense of smell. Sight is good as per the age of the child. The sense of touch and smell is not well developed.

The family of the child

The child is a first born in a family of two. He stays with the mother for now because the father works in another town. The father visits occasionally on weekends and when off duty. The mother works as a secretary in a nearby high school, but she is currently on maternity leave. The family has acquired a nanny who is to take care of the child when the other family members are at work. The nanny has an experience in child care since she is a mother and has been taking care of other children in the past. The role played by the family members is crucial for the bonding and attachment of the baby. The mother is the closest of them all because she breastfeeds and provides immediate care to the baby.

The major concern about family care for baby YY

The major concern about family care for baby YY is the father. Bonding is going to be a big problem because the father is always away. As seen earlier he visits during weekends and rarely off duty times, but that is not enough as child care is concerned. The immediate environment has neighbors who will also take part in the care of the child during later stages of development. One of the neighbors has a child, three months old thus chance for baby YY to grow in an environment where there are other children. The impact of the baby to the family is significant. Baby YY is a first-born making it difficult for the family to cope with child care because they lack prior experience. It is an extra burden to the family, and the mother reports extra effort is to be made so that there is a balance between work and care of the baby. On the other hand, bonding is required making it impossible separation of the baby from the mother when she goes back to work. However, the family reports that the baby is a blessing to the family and they are glad to have him.

Assessment of the home environment and safety

The home of baby YY is located just next to the road making it easily accessible by family members and the significant others. The home is clean, well lit from the outside and has a large play ground. The inner side of the house is well spaced, has windows that provide aeration, and the lighting system is good. The house is warm thus conducive for the growth of the child. The nanny is under instructions to ensure that the house is clean, well organized and free from any hazards that can harm the baby. The mother ensures that the child is safe, free from falls and any external injuries that can harm the baby. On the assessment of sleep, the baby has a separate cot where he sleeps, but it has no bed rails to prevent the baby from falling. The kitchen poses a threat to the growth of the baby because it is not well secured. It has no door thus the baby can crawl or walk in later when he can thus threatening the safety of the child.

Data Analysis

Growth and development is a continuous process that starts immediately the child is born. Baby YY has significant development parameters as indicated during the initial assessment. Starting with the height, Baby YY has a height of 58cm. When plotting the height on the percentile chart for growth monitoring, the height lies on the 58th percentile indicating a normal height for the children of his age. It means that the baby has a height similar to most of the children of his age. The second parameter is the weight. Baby YY weighs 5.5 kgs, and according to the percentile charts, he lies at the 57th percentile representing an average weight for children at his age. The last parameter for the baby is a head circumference, and he lies at 36.5 percentile representing a normal length as compared to other children of the same age.

Developmental theories

Development is a process that has been linked with various theories from the past. It is from the theories that parents find a guide to care and provide for the children as they grow. After the assessment of baby YY, the following theories have been found to be effective in the monitoring of the development of the baby. The first theory is Erickson’s psychosocial development stages. He divides the stages according to years, and the first stage is Trust versus mistrust seen in children between 0-18 months. Baby YY is two months old thus falls I this stage. The areas of trust come from the mother where she provides care and safeguards the baby from any danger. As seen above, the baby cries when another person gets hold of him because of trust. Also, the nanny is being trained to take care of the baby gradually to create that trust so that when the mother is away, the nanny can take over. The second theory is Piaget’s cognitive development theory. According to Piaget, children undergo several cognitive changes to understand the world around them and adjust to the nature of things. Taking an example of baby YY, he has the reflexes that help in communication. Sucking and grasping reflexes is one of the cognitive changes. At the same time, coordination of activities, vision, and prehension represent cognitive development.

Environment and development

On the assessment of the environment that the baby is growing in, the presence of the nanny represents care which promotes trust in the family and the physical world of the baby. Lights and other objects help in the cognitive development of the baby as he tries to understand what they are meant for. The presence of the mother is key to trust gain by the baby thus enhancing development. The challenge that the baby is likely to experience is bonding with the father because he is not around all the time. Also as seen the mother works a secretary hence upon resuming to work; the distance is going to increase leaving the nanny who is a member of the outside family as the only hope for the child.

Problems to be addressed in the care of baby YY

Problems to be addressed in the care of baby YY are minimal. The first one is the safety of the baby. As seen earlier, the bed of the baby does not have side rails. It is dangerous because it predisposes the baby to falls that can cause injuries. The appropriate nursing diagnosis here is a risk for injury related to the inappropriate physical care of the baby. Intervention to be done is securing the baby’s bed with side rails to prevent falls. The second problem noted is bonding. The father of the baby stays in a distant town making it difficult to take care of the baby. It will become a problem as the child will grow and bonding with the father becoming the problem. The mother is also resuming to work soon thus the baby will be left with the nanny during the day. The baby is therefore at risk of social isolation from the family members.

Goals developmental assessment

The main goal for the developmental assessment of baby YY is to promote the physical, social and cognitive development of the baby through the provision of care and support to the baby throughout the entire growth period until adulthood. When the needs are met by the family and significant others, the baby will grow well. The second goal is to ensure the child grows healthy and strong through the provision of good nutritional support and safety for the baby until adulthood. The third goal is to identify any abnormalities that are present or are likely to occur and put possible measures to eradicate the abnormalities. The last goal is to assess the coping of the family and significant with the incoming of another family member, baby YY. It is important for both the family and significant others to accept that they have a new responsibility of raising the baby safely.

Recommendations

The developmental assessment of baby YY has an aim of promoting development in a holistic manner and provision of safety to the baby. The first recommendation is that the immediate family, father, and mother to the baby should be very close to the infant so that bonding can be achieved. Bonding promotes the growth of the baby and ensures that the baby is emotionally attached to the family throughout life. The second recommendation is the maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months and gradual introduction of feeds after that. Exclusive breastfeeding has been recommended by the World Health Organization as a standard feeding procedure for children under age of six months.

References

Top of Form

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Bottom of Form

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Mooney, C. G. (2013). Theories of Childhood: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget & Vygotsky. Redleaf Press.

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