The document discusses health and safety considerations for caring for an infant named Anannya over her first year. It addresses proper hand washing, breastfeeding, SIDS prevention, immunizations, seeking medical attention, exclusion policies during illness, allergy testing, use of antibiotics, and hygiene practices. Safety issues that will arise as Anannya becomes a toddler are also outlined, including indoor safety, cleaning/sanitizing, injury prevention, safety netting, childproofing, winter clothing, potty training, and her development in preschool.

1. The Infant years (Birth to 12 Months Old)
Identify specific health and safety considerations that you will have to consider during the infant years.
How will you address these issues?
Example:
Hand washing
Proper hand washing is essential to keeping infants healthy as their immune system is low. “Hand washing is the most
important health practice that parents /educators and children must implement to reduce the spread of infections.”
(Pimento, Page 129) This was seen when my baby had many colds and ear infections within the first year. Although it is
common for infants to catch colds and infections, I need to use proper hand washing.
Now add your next point….
Breast feeding
Breast feeding has a lot of advantages. “Breastfeeding is the best way to ensure that babies get the nourishment they
need. Human milk contains the proper amounts of carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals for babies.”
(Kail&Zolner , P 115) I chose to breast feed my baby after she was born because it would help in developing immunity to
various illnesses and it is more nutritious than bottle feeding. I also decided to give her supplements to prevent
deficiencies of any kind.
SIDS(Sudden infant death syndrome)
Anannya sleeps most of the time, so I worry about SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). “For many parents of young
babies, sleep is a cause of concern. In sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also called „crib death,‟ a healthy baby dies
suddenly and unexpectedly, for no apparent reason.” ( Kail&Zolner, P 103) Thus I keep checking if she is sleeping on her
stomach and try to maintain proper temperature.
Immunization
To promote good health for Anannya, I decided to have her immunized. Vaccines like Hepatitis B, influenza vaccine, HB,
DtaP-IPv. HIB, MEC-C, VAR and MMR (Pimento&Kernested. P 126) were administered to her. Immunization record was to
be submitted to the day care center on enrollment as they had keep it on her file for documentation purpose and the
safety of the child.
Seek Medical Attention
Medical help was needed as my child constantly suffered from diarrhea. “Parents should seek medical attention if the
child has mucous or black stools… no tears when crying.” (Pimento &Kernested. P 174) Medical attention was required for
my baby as she was stricken with bouts of indigestion and diarrhea. Upon the doctor‟s advice she was treated with
pedialyte, rice water, etc.( Virtual Child Report) Anannya‟s constant diarrheas have been a cause of concern to me and I
follow the doctor‟s advice.
Exclusion policy
All day cares follow the exclusion policy with children suffering from diarrhea. “After the child is seen by a health care
provider, the child will be excluded from the program when the stool cannot be contained in a diaper.” (Pimento
&Kernested. P 174) For health and safety concerns of my child and all other children in the day care, I did not send
Anannya to the center as germs can spread during this period and cause various health concerns to the other children
at the center.
Allergy test
After a routine check-up of Anannya at 9 months, the pediatrician advises to keep her away from sick people and check
out a new food for a few days to test for allergies (Virtual child report). “An allergic reaction results when the person is
exposed to the allergen and the body produces chemicals such as histamines, which cause various physical symptoms or
reactions….milk, wheat and other cereal products containing gluten are common cause of infant allergies.” (Pimento
&Kernested. P 186) I decided to do the allergy test for her as recommended by the doctor because she is ill several times
and has constant digestive upsets.

2. Treatment using Antibiotics
Anannya is 12 months and she has constant colds and ear-aches for the past two months.( Virtual Child Report)
“Children younger than 2 years of age are usually treated with antibiotics because this infection can lead to other, more
serious complications.” (Pimento &Kernested. P. 173) I decided to treat her with antibiotics following the doctor‟s advice.
The Toddler Years (2 Years Old)
Have there been any environmental events that you think might have influenced your child’s development?
Does this create any health or safety concerns for your toddler?
Personal Hygiene
Maintaining proper hygiene practices is very essential for health and safety of infants. “Hygiene practices such as
keep[ing] hair clean…avoiding chewing gum]…wear[ing] an apron to prevent bacteria from clothes getting into food…not
preparing or serving food when we have an infectious illness.” (Pimento &Kernested. P 275) Proper hygiene practice is
required because Anannya falls ill frequently and has diarrhea too. Germs from improper personal hygiene could have
been the cause of her health issues. To overcome this concern I followed strict hygiene measures for personal safety and
the safety of my child.
Indoor safety
She has started enjoying the game hide and seek and is also searching for things around the house. So I have provided
areas with enough space for her to explore material and I inspect the place for broken parts, sharp or splinted edges,
rusting metals, exposed hinges or pinch points between moving parts, frayed ropes etc.( Pimento &Kernested.p 379-81)
My toddler should have the freedom to explore, play and socialize in an area that is safe and secure.
Cleaning and Sanitizing
As Anannya has started moving around and exploring the things around the house it is essential to follow a strict pattern
of cleaning and sanitizing. “The purpose of sanitizing an object or surface is to ensure that as many germs as possible are
eliminated. In most cases, objects and surfaces are cleaned and rinsed, then sanitized, and left to air-dry.” (Pimento
&Kernested. P140)Since she has a very sensitive system, I sanitize all her toys daily and clean the areas so that she has a
germ free environment.
Injury Prevention Strategy
An item on the news about a toddlers drowning or nearly drowning in pools has started me thinking about swimming
lessons, even though the apartment pool has a locked gate around it. (Virtual Child Report) I wish to follow safety
measures like: “Never leave children unsupervised in the pool, regardless of their age.” (Pimento &Kernested. P367) For
the development of physical growth of Anannya, I feel swimming is a good exercise, thus I will follow the injury prevention
strategy related to drowning for a safe swimming practice.
Safety Netting
Taking care of the environment is an essential aspect in the growth of a child. I show Anannya how to take care of the
growing number of plants I have in the balcony of the apartment. Though the balcony is child safe and there is no danger
of Anannya falling I have used safety netting. “Safety netting can be used to prevent children from climbing and falling. It
will also stop a child from squeezing it‟s head through the balcony or stair railings.” ( www.baby-safety-concerns.com)
Thus I can prevent any unforeseen accidents in the balcony and Anannya can enjoy the environment.
Child Proofing
Anannyais able to walk, run and climb and can get into dangerous situations pretty fast. (Virtual Child Report) I set up a
child safe, child proof environment so that she can explore around the house and at the same time play safely. I use child
gates and also follow furniture safety. “Use the best child gates to prevent your child from falling down the stairs.” “Cover
all sharp corners and edges of furniture with soft materials to soften the impact if your child falls into them.”(www.baby-
safety-concerns.com)

3. Dressing appropriately for winter
The weather has turned cold and for her health and safety Anannya should put on a jacket. “Dressing appropriately for
the weather goes a long way towards making winter activities enjoyable and safe….wearing appropriate winter hats,
toques, hoods, and so on are equally important for adults and childrenin protecting them from frostbite.” (Pimento
&Kernested. P 410) Anannya shows some temper tantrums and refuses to put on the jacket, this is a cause of concern as
she can fall sick if she goes into the open without proper covering.
Potty Training
From the time she got her new potty and her training pants she has been making efforts to get herself trained. I follow
these rules for her development, “ Place her on the potty and stay with the child for a specific period of time…assist the
child to get dressed …rinse out the potty and flush the water down the toilet…wash hands, dry the potty with single towel
…return the potty to storage area.” (Pimento &Kernested. P 139) The training in fact builds her confidence and sense of
self awareness.
MY VIRTUAL CHILD
1. Think ahead what might happen to your virtual child in the preschool and school-age years, why do you
think these things might happen? Predict their development in the physical domain, the social/emotional
domain and the cognitive language domain. Explain why you think this might happen and link to your
text book or other resources.
Anannya is going to start the preschool program very soon, and gradually she will go into school years, I
am very excited about these transitional stages, but at the same time I’m a bit concerned in certain areas.
Since Anannya has been adapting pretty well to the new care group that she was put into at the age of 2,
she is toilet trained now and rarely has accidents, she is communicating better and gets along well with
girls and boys too (Virtual Child Report) Anannya might not face a problem in adapting to the new
preschool environment that she will be attending in a few days from now.
As most of her developmental domains were above average or in accordance with the developmental
norms, Anannya will have a typical development in the preschool and school-age years.
Physical Domain- Anannya will grow in height and weight. The growth during her infant to toddler
years was quick, but the growth during the preschool years will be more stable. ( Kail&Zolner. P.213)
her muscles will develop and her bones will become stronger. She will get her full set of milk teeth and
as she goes into school-age her milk teeth will begin to fall and the permanent set will start coming out.
“From 3 to 6 years, tooth development remains stable, but at about 5 or 6 years, children begin to lose
primary teeth and permanent teeth begin to erupt.” ( Kail&Zolner. P 214). Anannya’s sleep patterns too
will change. She will develop better sleep habits and also have dreams related to her daily activity. “
After preschool children will sleep peacefully throughout nights. Many children have
nightmares…dreams occurring toward morning that usually wake the child.” ( Kail&Zolner. P 216)
Anannya will develop better better gross motor skills which she had a problem with in the toddler group.
This will be developed because she will engage in a lot of play like catching and throwing the ball,
swinging, climbing etc. Her fine motor skills too will develop and she will be able to dress herself and
also engage in painting, printing, coloring etc. ( Kail&Zolner. P 220). All these factors will enable
Anannya to achieve the physical developmental milestone according to the norm.

4. Social/Emotional Domain
At the age of two Anannya had started playing with girls of her age group and she was trying to realize
gender differences. “During the preschool years, children begin to understand that gender is stable: Boys
become men and girls who wear her hair like a boy will become a boy and that a boy who plays with
dolls will become a girl.” ( Kail&Zolner. P 279) Anannya will start taking up more responsibilities and
will start acquiring a self-esteem which will be developed more through role play. “One of the by-
products of psychological growth is that preschool children acquire self-esteem, the first feelings of their
own worth.” ( Kail&Zolner. P 281) Family relationships will matter a lot to Anannya during her
preschool and school years. Most of her habits and relationships will have its roots from the family
environment. During her toddler years she was getting attached to cousin Melody, so she will start
understanding family relations as she grows. “According to the system view, parents influence their
children, both directly and indirectly. However, the influence is mutual, as children affect how their
parents behave to them.” ( Kail&Zolner. P 283) She will start observing our behaviour and try to imitate
them, so we need to be more careful while dealing with her. Very soon Anannya will have a sibling so
she will have to interact with it. “The indirect influence of parents on sibling relationships stems from
the quality of the parents’ relationship with each other.” (Kail&Zolner. P 296) She will be interacting
most of the time with her peer groups in the preschool. She will develop cooperation, sharing, caring,
respect for others through various activities at school. She will develop a lot of moral and social values.
She will also improve self-control. “Children can regulate their own behaviour when they have plans to
help remember a goal and something to distract them from tempting objects.” (Kail&Zolner. P 310) All
these features will help Anannya reach her developmental milestone with ease.
Cognitive/Language Domain
During the infant and toddler years Anannya’s cognitive domain always met the developmental
milestone successfully. She could communicate in sentences and could also distinguish objects and find
things which were hidden. During the preschool and school age she will understand concepts more
clearly. “The preoperational stage, which spans ages 2 to 7, is marked by the child’s use of symbols to
represent objects and events.” ( Kail&Zolner. P 237) She will also need constant assurance and
reminders to pay attention to situations during the preschool age and it will improve as she grows.
“ Young children need help to pay attention, and simple, gentle reminders to pay attention often works.”
( Kail&Zolner. P 244) Anannya will acquire development in counting small sets of objects and it will
develop as she grows into school years. She has started showing progress in communicative skills. Since
she’s able to form sentences for communicating she will easily master the grammatical concepts of the
language.
“Children master grammatical morphemes that express simple relations and then those that denote
complex relations.” ( Kail&Zolner. P 269) Through the educators, media, and various other resources
that she will come across in the preschool and school years, Anannya will acquire adequate skills and
develop in the cognitive domain to reach the developmental milestone.

5. Bibliography
Kail, Robert V., and Theresa Zolner. Children: a Chronological Approach. Toronto: Pearson Canada, 2012. Print.
Ages and Stages: A Brief Overview, Birth to 12 Years. Print.
Pimento, Barbara, and Deborah Kernested. Healthy Foundations in Early Childhood Settings. Toronto: Nelson
Education, 2010. Print
Wondertime: Understanding Kids, Inspiring Parents – Joys of Parenting Young Kids(Toddlers). Web. 6 Nov.2011.
http://wondertime.go.com.
Your Baby Safety Guide. With Safety Tips, Reviews and Advice. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. http://www.baby-safety-
concerns.com.
Bibliography
Kail, Robert V., and Theresa Zolner. Children: a Chronological Approach. Toronto: Pearson Canada, 2012. Print.
Ages and Stages: A Brief Overview, Birth to 12 Years. Print.
Pimento, Barbara, and Deborah Kernested. Healthy Foundations in Early Childhood Settings. Toronto: Nelson
Education, 2010. Print
Wondertime: Understanding Kids, Inspiring Parents – Joys of Parenting Young Kids(Toddlers). Web. 6 Nov.2011.
http://wondertime.go.com.
Your Baby Safety Guide. With Safety Tips, Reviews and Advice. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. http://www.baby-safety-
concerns.com.