Infant Reflexes, Behavioral States, and Motor Development

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to infant reflexes, behavioral states, physical development (bones, muscles, lungs/heart), and motor skill acquisition as discussed in the lecture notes.

Adaptive reflexes

Reflexes humans are born with that help them survive; some aid in obtaining nourishment (e.g., rooting, sucking), others protect against harmful stimuli, and some persist throughout life.

Rooting reflex

When a newborn's cheek is touched, it will turn its head to that side, aiding in obtaining nourishment.

Sucking reflex

Newborns automatically begin sucking any object that enters the mouth, aiding in obtaining nourishment.

Primitive reflexes

Reflexes controlled by less sophisticated parts of the brain (medulla and midbrain) whose purposes are less clear, and which typically begin to disappear by six to eight months of age.

Moro reflex (startle reflex)

A reflex where a baby throws its arms outward and arches its back in response to a loud noise or startling stimulus.

Babinski reflex

A reflex where a baby splays out its toes and then curls them in when the bottom of its foot is stroked.

States of consciousness (neonates)

Five different states of sleep and wakefulness neonates move through, typically in a sequence from deep sleep to lighter sleep, then to alert wakefulness and fussing, before dropping back into deep sleep after feeding.

Reticular formation

The part of the brain that regulates attention.

Circadian rhythms

Day/night sleep rhythms that become evident in infants around eight weeks of age, leading to more regular and predictable sleep patterns.

Basic cry

A rhythmical crying pattern (cry, silence, breath) that often signals hunger and may include a whistling sound accompanying the in-breath.

Anger cry

A cry that is typically louder and more intense than a basic cry.

Pain cry

A cry that normally has a very abrupt onset, unlike basic or anger cries which usually begin with whimpering or moaning.

Colic

A pattern involving intense bouts of crying totaling three or more hours a day, three or more times a week, for more than three weeks, with no immediate apparent reason, and which nothing alleviates; typically appears between 2-3 weeks and disappears around 3-4 months of age.

Cephalocaudal pattern

A pattern of physical development that proceeds from the head downward.

Proximal distal pattern

A pattern of physical development that proceeds from the center of the body outward.

Ossification

The process of bone hardening, occurring steadily from the last phase of prenatal development and continuously through puberty.

Locomotor skills (Gross motor skills)

Abilities such as crawling and walking that enable an infant to get around the environment.

Non-locomotor skills

Skills such as controlling head movements that improve a baby's ability to use their senses and interact with objects and people.

Manipulative skills (Fine motor skills)

Motor skills that often involve the use of hands, such as stacking blocks.

Developmental milestones

Near-universal age-related events whose first appearance signals noteworthy change in growth, typically observed up to 24 months of age.

NIPPISSING District Development Screen Test (NDDS)

A comprehensive Canadian screening tool used with children aged one month to six years to identify various aspects of child development that may require early intervention.