The Child's Development: Conception, Birth & Infancy 0-3 years

Conception/Pregnancy

Human life in this occasion Muhammad Ali’s life begins with conception. This is when the egg is fertilised by a sperm, while others prefer to think of it as the moment that an early stage embryo implants in the lining of the uterus and becomes attached to its mother. When this was happening Muhammad Ali was at his early stages of life by his mother Odessa Grady Clay. Pregnancy is when the development of one or more offspring, known as an embryo or foetus gets born in the uterus. This usually occurs about 40 weeks after conception.

These weeks are grouped into three trimesters: First trimester is from 0-12 weeks. During the first trimester the body undergoes many changes as Muhammad Ali starts to develop eyes and his face becomes more able to see. Hormonal changes affect almost every organ system in your body. The changes that his mother ‘ Odessa Grady Clay’ would develop symptoms like extreme tiredness, headache and craving for certain things.

The second trimester is from 13-28 weeks. During the second trimester some symptom’s like nausea and morning sickness might go away. However changes to the body are happening e.g. Your abdomen will expand as the baby continues to grow. At 14 weeks, Muhammad Ali is about 85mm long from head to bottom. His body parts were starting to develop.

Finally, the third trimester is from 29-40 weeks. By about 32 weeks the baby is usually lying with its head pointing downwards, ready for birth. So Muhammad Ali’s bones are starting to harden now and his skull is still soft and gentle. There are some new body changes in the third trimester e.g. shortness of breath, heartburn and swelling of the fingers, legs and face. At 37 to 40 weeks Muhammad Ali is about 19-21 inches long which means that he is healthy during this time leading to birth.

Birth and infancy 0-3 years

The process of bringing forth childbirth. This is when a baby twists and turns through the birth canal. Muhammad Ali was born on January 17th 1942. Physical Development Physical development means the formation on how children will grow physically. This process starts in human infancy. When Muhammad Ali was born, he was a baby so he didn’t really do much except from sleep, getting breastfeed by his mother and crying a lot as all babies do when they are born. Babies tend to sleep for 16-17 hours a day. However, some babies sleep more than others and some enjoy less sleep.

Babies must get breastfed or bottle fed every four hours and need to be fed regularly in order for the baby to grow. Babies cry because it is there way of trying to communicate when they want to be fed or when they want comfort from their mother. By six months after birth Muhammad Ali was able to lift his hands and head when he was laid flat on his belly just like other babies. This could mean that the baby could start crawling soon. Also, during the six months Muhammad Ali would want attention from his mother Odessa Grady Clay and he is also learning the different response from his close family members according to what he does. He was also curious about what activities his parents did or what they were eating.

By twelve months Muhammad Ali would be able to crawl, walk and sit up with no support or help from his family. He will also show an interest in loud games or songs which would entertain him. This would be shown when he is laughing, screaming and moving his hands quiet a lot. Babies tend to resist taking naps or sleeping at this at this time of physical development. However, by the age of 3, Muhammad Ali would be able to put his shoes on but wouldn’t be able to tie them up. He would also be able to run around and walk well, at this stage he is more independent on running and walking by himself.

Intellectual Development

Intellectual means a child’s ability to think about and understand things in a different way for example they could start to pay more attention. New born babies can recognize their mother’s voices straight away. At the start of three months the babies sight will be fuzzy and blurry but it will gradually develop through their first year. An infant’s brain development is the key for intellectual development and by six months Muhammad Ali would have had different cries for hunger or pain, and would probably hear them babble. These abilities show that Muhammad Ali is gaining communication and pre-language skills. During a few months after birth babies tend to recognize familiar faces and voices.

Emotional Development

Emotional is relating to a person’s emotions e.g. Babies cry because it is there way of trying to communicate when they want to be fed or when they want comfort. The most common reason why a baby might cry is because he/she is hungry, sometimes babies cry for no reason this usually happens when the baby is under five months. At two/three months babies tend to show their emotions through facial expressions for example they begin to frown when they are about to cry.

At this stage they are comforted by being fed or cuddled. They will also start beginning to have a routine as their sleeping patterns begin to change. At four to six months babies are able to laugh and not just smile. You can also calm a baby down at this stage by picking them up or by showing some kind of gesture that you are familiar to the person. From six to twelve months babies start to suck their thumb and play with their hands. This shows that when Muhammad Ali reached six months he began to suck his thumb and liked to play with his dummy.

Social Development

This area of development involves learning to interact with other people and to understand and control your own emotions. Babies start to develop relationships with the people around them right from birth, but the process of learning to communicate, share, and interact with others takes many years to develop. New born babies love being held by their family members. At the first month Muhammad Ali began to copy the same facial expressions as his family members. For example, if his mother pulled her tongue out he would do the same. When a baby is two years old that’s when they start to enjoy playing with other children. When he first started playing with other children he wouldn’t want to share his toys. However, later on he started to share his toys and included other children to play with him. Once he is in nursery he will start to develop listening skills and be able to communicate with teachers.