Child & Adolescent Psychology - Chapter 8: Early Childhood, Physical Development

PSYC 3370

growth pattern in early childhood

growth rate slows, become slender and lose baby fat with height

• 2-3 inches per year

• 4-6 pounds per year

• boys are only slightly taller and heavier

brain development in early childhood

develops more quickly than any other organ

• 2 years: 75% of adult weight

• 5 years: 90% of adult weight, though total body weight is a 1/3 of adult weight

• completion of myelination between cerebellum (almost done) and cerebral cortex → develops fine motor skills

• motor activity and skills→ myelination

brain development and visual skills in early childhood

improving visual skills + brain development helps child learn to read and focus at 4-7, reaching adult levels at the beginning of adolescence

left vs right brain

right brain = emotional, visual-spatial functions, facial recognition, colors, emotional responses, metaphors, creativity

left brain = logical, logical analysis, problem-solving, language, math

however, there is no such thing as being left/right brained due to overlap

corpus callosum

thick bundle of nerve fibers that connects the brain hemispheres and allow them to cooperate, quickly myelinates during early and middle childhood while completing at 8

plasticity

tendency of new parts of the brain to tka eup the functions of injured parts, allowing for compensation of brain injury

never really goes away but slows down after 1-2

• sprouting: growing new dendrites to rearrange circuitry

• redundancy of neural connections: multiple sites perform similar functions

gross motor skills in early childhood

2-6 has most development, boys and girls are about equal here

large muscles used in locomotion

• physical activity: children do it a lot before 2-3 where they can focus

• rough-and-tumble play: running, chasing, wrestling, laughing, faces. not aggressive, children enjoy this, but boys seem more prone to it

• individual differences: matter more than sex differences, mostly depends on caregiver’s physical activity levels themselves

fine motor skills in early childhood

gradual, much slower than gross motor skills

small muscles used in manipulation, like in the fingers

• drawing: scribbles → shapes → designs → pictures, very symbolic

handedness

emerges during infancy

• left handedness is not bad

• factors: genetics, prenatal testosterone, etc

nutrition in early childhood

grow at a slower rate than infants/need less calories per pounds

• 1-3 → 1,000-1,300 cal

• 4-5 → 1,400-1,600 cal

• 4-8 → 1,400 cal

patterns of eating in early childhood

appetites decreases and becomes erratic at 2-3

developing preferences for certain foods, particularly sugary and salty foods

• picky eaters: help create healthy eating habits. create familiarity, share meals, do not pressure them

• emphasize fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

minor illnesses in early childhood

respiratory infections (colds) and gastrointestinal upsets (nausea, vomiting, of which diarrhea is more deadly in low-income)

get sick easily, but it helps them develop their immune system

• 1-3 → 8-9 minor illnesses a year

• 4-10 → 4-6 minor illnesses a year

major illnesses in early childhood

• respiratory illnesses like pneumonia

• diarrhea causing severe dehydration

• malaria

• measles

• malnutrition

oral rehydration therpay

giving a salt-and-sugar solution to a child who is dehydrated from diarrhea

vaccines

reduced the frequency of serious childhood illnesses

do not cause autism

leading causes of early childhood death in the us

used to be infections, but it is now unintentional injuries → prevention through child safety seats, window guards, safety standards for manufacturers

sleep in early childhood

don’t need as much sleep as infants

• preschool/3-5 → 11-13 hours, usually 9-10 being a night sleep and 1-2 being a nap

transitional object

soft, cuddly object a child brings to bed to ease separation from the parents

sleep terrors

frightening dreamlike experiences that occur during the deepest stage of non-REM sleep shortly after the child has slept

much more severe than nightmares, but are outgrown by late adolescence

usually due to stress, should not wake the child but ensure they do not get hurt by thrashing

nightmares

frightening dreams during lighter REM sleep (where 80% of normal dreams happen) in the morning hours

insomnia

sleep disorder with difficulty falling sleep, remaining asleep,a nd waking early

can be developed by children who are scared to get night terrors/nightmares, but parents should be understanding and maintain a normal sleep routine

sonambulism

sleepwalking occurs in 1 of 3 children by 13, usually between 3-8

toilet training

teaching the inhibition of the reflex to eliminate, best to do it around 3-4

pressure also occurs

enuresis

failure to control the bladder after the normal age, so after 5 years is a problem

bedwetting

failure to control the bladder during the night, happens to about 10% of children because they don’t wake up to make it to the bathroom

usually fixes itself by age 8

• conditioned anxiety over failed attempts to control the bladder

• situational stresses

• genetics

• during the deepest stage of sleep, immaturity of the nervous system

encopresis/soiling

failure to control the bowels after the normal age (7-8 years)

more likely during the day