Family guide to infant development
Your companion for ages 0 - 12 months
Nothing is more exciting than having a new baby. But when a baby has a CHD, that excitement can also be mixed with fear and sadness.
This guide will help walk you through this critical first year. You will learn about some of the challenges you might encounter, and also how to get the help you need. No matter what your baby is facing, you can help them to grow, learn, and love.
Starting with the basics
What you can do right now
Do you want to support your baby’s development, but aren’t sure where to start?
Don’t worry: we’re here to help. We’ve highlighted the most important things you can do right now to support your infant’s healthy development.
Understanding domains of development
As babies grow, they develop in multiple skill area at the same time. We call these skill areas “domains of development.” Some babies develop pretty evenly across domains. Other babies develop quickly in some domains, and more slowly in others.
When you think about domains of development, you might notice what is easy for your baby, and what is hard. Then, you can use this knowledge to nurture your baby’s strengths, and support their weaknesses.
Think includes understanding, recognizing patterns, solving problems, learning. It is also called “cognitive development.”
Move includes using arms and legs, using hands, balance, coordination, strength. It is also called “motor development.”
Talk includes speaking or signing, listening, understanding, communicating. It is also called “language development.”
Connect includes understanding other people, social skills, relationships. It is also called “social development.”
Feel includes self-regulation, understanding emotions, managing feelings. It is also called “emotional development.”
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Exploring your child’s development
Cognition is how a baby learns, thinks, solves problems, and understands. During infancy, the brain grows quickly, and babies discover new ways to perceive and understand their world.
Babies are born ready to learn. They are keen observers, and they pay attention to the people and objects around them. They notice patterns, and experiment through play and exploration.
Some babies make slower progress, and each baby develops at their own pace. Intervention can help all babies to reach their potential.
Typical skills most babies learn
During their first year, most babies learn how to:
Recognize familiar people, places, and things
Remember and predict routines
Examine objects with their hands and mouths
Explore their space by moving and feeling
Know how people and objects usually behave (example: if you drop an object, it falls)
Bang things together to make sounds
Understand that something still exists even if they cannot see it
Use gestures, sounds, or words to get what they want
Respond to simple gestures and words
Tell the difference between living things and nonliving things
Cognitive challenges, delays, and differences
Like all babies, babies with CHDs are curious and eager to learn. However, sometimes that face challenges that can make learning hard, at least for a while.
Babies may have a hard time learning if they:
often feel sick
often feel stressed
sleep more than usual
get tired easily
spend a lot of time in the hospital
cannot safely be touched or held
cannot explore new spaces and objects
have a genetic syndrome that affects brain development
have a brain injury
Sometimes, babies with CHDs develop differently from other babies.
With intervention, most babies with CHDs can catch up to their peers. Other babies do not catch up, but intervention can help them to make great progress.
When a baby has a cognitive delay, they might:
Not remember objects or people
Not learn to expect things that happen every day
Seem uninterested in toys
Not respond to their name
Not watch and follow objects with their eyes
Not coo (make “ahh” noises) or babble (make “ba-ba-ba”-type noises)
Not seem to remember things they have already learned
Behave in a way that is more typical of a younger infant
If you notice that your baby is struggling in any of these ways, tell your doctor. Remember: every baby can learn, and help is always available.
What do babies learn and understand?
Babies have been compared to tiny scientists. During their first year of life, they are constantly observing, noticing, and exploring. They draw conclusions about people, and about how the world works. They learn how they can affect and interact with people and objects.
When you recognize the big ideas that babies are learning, you can better support them in developing these concepts and skills.
How you can support thinking and learning
Babies (ages 0-12 months) are born curious and ready to explore. They learn by interacting with other people, playing, and exploring their world with their bodies and senses.
As a parent, you can do so much to support your baby’s thinking and learning. Whether you are at home or in the hospital, you can build your baby’s brain through play and connection. These strategies can help.
Services to support thinking and learning
When a baby has a CHD, they are at risk of delays in their thinking and learning. Appropriate interventions can help reduce this risk.
As a parent, you can find services to support your baby’s cognitive development, both in and out of the hospital. Read more to learn how.
Interventions for development
Babies' brains are still developing, and are astonishingly "plastic," meaning they can change, grow, and heal. Developmental interventions can literally build and rewire a baby's brain.
Even when they are sick, babies are developing. Early, appropriate intervention can help babies to learn new skills and concepts, and meet developmental milestones.
Explore the selected interventions below, search our resources, or visit our Power of Intervention page. Help is always available.
Baby Cillian's first year
Cillian was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) before he was born, so his parents knew he would face some challenges during his early life. However, they did not anticipate his cardiac arrest, and resulting brain injury.
Through his tumultuous first year, Cillian and his family persevered in looking ahead, building skills, and promoting development. Even when Cillian took steps backwards, his parents and providers helped him to move forwards again.
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