Stages of Development> Period of Infancy - Activities and Needs of the Infant

A. Reflex Activities

Reflexes are automatic actions present at birth. Babies do these without learning or experience.​

Examples of reflexes:

• Rooting Reflex: A baby turns its head toward a cheek touch — it helps them find food.
• Sucking Reflex: A baby sucks anything that touches the roof of its mouth.
• Grasp Reflex: When you touch a baby’s palm, it grabs your finger.​
• Moro Reflex: A loud sound/startle makes a baby throw out arms and legs, then pull them in.​

B. Activities Depending on Maturation

These activities start as the baby’s body and brain mature.

Babies don’t need lessons; as they grow, they naturally begin:

• Holding their head up,
• Rolling over,
• Sitting,
• Crawling,
• Eventually walking.​

C. Learned or Complex Activities

Babies learn new things from experiences and interaction.

• Smiling after seeing a friendly face,
• Reaching for toys,
• Adopting eating or sleeping cycles.​

1. Basic Needs:

• Hunger and Thirst: Caregivers feed the baby by breast or bottle.​
• Sleep: Babies sleep during the day and night.
• Elimination: Babies need regular diaper changes.​

2. Independent Needs:

• Breathing, hearing, smelling, tasting: Babies do these on their own.

3. Routine, such as set times for feeding and sleeping, develops as babies grow.

• Rooting reflex: When a mother touches her baby’s cheek, the baby turns and opens its mouth to feed.​
• Sitting: At about six months, most babies start sitting up without help.
• Playing: By eight months, babies reach for toys and laugh at games with family members.

• Infants show three main activity types: reflex, maturation-based, and learned. Each helps them adjust and grow.
• Most basic needs are met by caregivers — feeding, sleeping, changing — while some, like breathing, work naturally.