Infant and Toddler Development from Conception to Age 3

Do babies have biological expectations for care?

Infants invite those caring for them to join as companions on an incredible journey. Infant and Toddler Development from Conception to Age 3 is a helpful guide to that journey. Each chapter taps a distinct area of research to shed light on babies’ biological expectations for care and their amazing competence as active participants in that care. Because the shadow of adversity and trauma disrupts the journey for some, this book includes ways to help infants and families recover and heal. Exploring each domain of development, with policy and practice recommendations, the authors offer important insights into:

• How prenates “read” and adapt to characteristics of their environment.
• How fetus and mother respond in sync to a cascade of hormones that facilitate healthy birth, breastfeeding, bonding, and immune system development.
• How infants search for proximity to caring, responsive others as a means of regulating physiological systems and making friends.
• How infants gather statistics on language through interactions with companions.
• How infants learn as they investigate objects and people within everyday play and interactions.

Book Features:

• A complete picture of the dynamic nature of infant development from conception to 36 months of age.
• Draws from state-of-the-art science to shed new light on infants and toddlers as being amazingly aware, compassionate, and competent.
• A broad basis of information on which to make decisions about how to care for babies, written for both professionals and parents.
• Easy access to fascinating research findings that can be used to shape future policy in support of infants and families.
• User-friendly format includes “Closer Look” text boxes, photographs, illustrations, and figures.

Mary Jane Maguire-Fong is faculty emerita in early childhood education at American River College in Sacramento, California, and author of Teaching and Learning with Infants and Toddlers. Marsha Peralta is professor of early childhood education at Folsom Lake College in Folsom, CA.

"Of all the books on infancy I have read over the many years of my professional life, I have never experienced one that more clearly and purposefully communicates, in direct and easily understandable language, the day-by-day development of infants and the essential role adults play in the optimization of that development. Their intention to truly get through to the reader what they have uncovered from their in-depth study of infant research is quite evident. "
— From the Foreword by J. Ronald Lally, co-director of the Center for Child & Family Studies and Program for Infant/Toddler Care, WestEd, author of For Our Babies: Ending the Invisible Neglect of America's Infants

"Infant development comes alive in this book. Mary Jane Maguire-Fong and Marsha Peralta present us with a review of what we have come to know about infants over the past 50 or more years in a dynamic manner that more than captures the excitement of our growing understanding. "
— from the Afterword by Ed Tronick, Distinguished University Professor, University of Massachusetts, Boston

"There is no more complex biological, social, or cultural segment of life—from conception through early childhood. The authors have navigated this complexity with clarity and coherence. The range of theoretical and practical knowledge is impressive, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in young children. This will be a valuable resource for academics, clinicians, and caregivers."
—Bruce D. Perry, senior fellow, The ChildTrauma Academy and adjunct professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University

“Even before they are born babies are busy learning, and their first 1000 days will shape the rest of their lives. Here's an extraordinary collection of stories from the extensive research that confirms this, enabling caring adults to take the baby's perspective. The authors invite us to explore and reflect on what it’s like to be a baby, new to the world and full of curiosity.”
—Elizabeth Jones, faculty emerita, Pacific Oaks College

"Parents-to-be are bombarded with information on pregnancy, birth, and early development. Much of this is outdated; some of it is conflicting and even harmful. This book beautifully describes our latest understanding on the subject from science and what this means practically. They may not do so in words, but babies are asking this of us!"
—Nils Bergman, M.D., honorary senior lecturer, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Foreword J. Ronald Lally

Preface

Chapter 1. Infants and Toddlers: How We See Them
   Connection
   Participation
   Belonging
   Meaning-Making
   Companionship

PART I. CONCEPTION THROUGH BIRTH

Chapter 2. From Stardust to Birth
   Development and How it Unfolds
   Phases of Prenatal Development
   Birth Status and Prematurity
   Development of the Nervous System
   Environmental Exposure:
   Impact on Prenatal Development

Chapter 3. Labor and Birth
   A Cascade of Hormones Orchestrates Birth
   The Body Prepares for Labor
   Labor
   Optimal Birth Care
   From Research to Policy to Practice

PART II. NEWBORNS AND RESPONSIVE CARE

Chapter 4. Newborn Care
   Skin-to-Skin Contact
   The Baby’s Microbiome
   Seeking Safety
   Responsive Care

Chapter 5. Synchrony in Care: Infant Feeding and Meals
   Lactation and Feeding: A Perfect Match
   Complementary Food
   Infants’ Active Participation in Meals

Chapter 6. Synchrony in Care: Rhythms of Sleep
   Sleep Patterns and Brain Development
   Where Infants Sleep:
   Cultural and Historical Context
   Making Decisions about Infant Sleep

PART III. BABIES MAKING MEANING

Chapter 7. How Babies Communicate
   Language Begins in the Womb
   Babies as Language Detectives
   In Dialogue with Others
   The Roots of Reading Begin in Infancy
   Language Milestones and Cause for Concern
   Sharing Stories

Chapter 8. How Babies Move
   Fetal Movement
   Newborn Movements
   Reaching and Grasping
   Rolling and Sitting
   Locomotion
   Freedom to Move
   Movement: The Social and Cultural Context

Chapter 9. How Babies Learn About People
   The Biological Urge to Play
   Young Infants’ Social Play
   Older Infants’ Social Play
   Social Responsiveness:
   When Concerns Arise

Chapter 10. How Babies Learn About Objects
   What Infants Know About Objects
   How Infants Build Concepts in Play
   Play Space as Context for Learning

PART IV. WIDENING THE LENS

Chapter 11. Belonging
   Learning by Pitching In
   Detecting Goals and Intentions
   Sharing
   Caring
   Living Within the House Rules

Chapter 12. How the Light Gets In: Coping with Adversity
   Body is Home for Life
   Companionship
   Traumatic Harm
   Healing Happens in the Body

Chapter 13. What Babies Ask of Us: Baby-Friendly Policies
   Pre-Conception
   Gestation and Pregnancy
   High-Quality, High-Value
   Mother–Baby Care
   Paid Family Leave
   Affordable, Quality Infant Care
   Meaning-Making Through Infants’ Eyes

Afterword Ed Tronick