Ch 4: Birth and Physical Development during the First Three Years

Key terms related to birth and physical development during the first three years, based on the provided lecture notes. These flashcards define important concepts, stages, assessments, complications, and developmental principles discussed in the lecture.

Midwives

Birthing attendants predominant prior to the twentieth century.

Parturition

The act or process of giving birth, occurring in three stages.

Stage 1 of Childbirth

Dilation of the cervix.

Stage 2 of Childbirth

Descent and emergence of the baby.

Stage 3 of Childbirth

Expulsion of the placenta.

Electronic Fetal Monitoring

Tracks the fetus's heart during delivery, providing valuable information in high-risk pregnancies, but with a high false-positive rate.

Cesarean Delivery

Surgically removing a baby from the uterus through the abdomen.

Natural Childbirth

A form of nonmedicated delivery that seeks to prevent pain through education, breathing, and relaxation techniques.

Prepared Childbirth (Lamaze Method)

A nonmedicated delivery method using instruction, breathing exercises, and social support to induce controlled physical responses to uterine contractions and reduce fear and pain.

Pudendal Block

A local (vaginal) anesthesia used for pain relief during childbirth.

Analgesic

A general medication that reduces pain perception.

Doula

An experienced mentor who provides emotional support and information to childbearing women in traditional cultures.

Neonatal Period

The first 4 weeks of life, transitioning from intrauterine dependency to independent existence.

Neonate

A newborn baby, typically about 20 inches long and 7.5 pounds in the U.S.

Fontanels

Soft spots between skull bones of a newborn.

Lanugo

Fuzzy prenatal hair found on a newborn.

Vernix Caseosa

An oily protection against infection found on a newborn.

Anoxia

Lack of oxygen, which can cause brain damage if a newborn does not begin breathing within about 5 minutes.

Neonatal Jaundice

A condition in which the skin and eyeballs look yellow due to the immaturity of the liver, affecting about half of babies 3-4 days after birth.

Apgar Scale

An assessment tool used to evaluate the health of a newborn based on appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration.

Infant's State of Arousal

Measured in terms of eyes, breathing, movement, and responsiveness.

Newborn Sleep

Alternates between quiet (regular) and active (irregular) sleep.

Low-Birth-Weight Babies (LBW)

Infants weighing less than 2,500 grams (5.5 pounds).

Preterm Infants

Infants born before completing the 37th week of gestation.

Kangaroo Care

Skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant to reduce stress on the central nervous system, used for premature babies.

Isolette

An antiseptic, temperature-controlled crib with intravenous feeding for premature infants.

Surfactant

A lung-coating substance administered to premature infants to keep air sacs from collapsing.

Postmature Baby

A baby born after 41 or more weeks of gestation, at risk for brain damage and death.

Stillbirth

The sudden death of a fetus at or after the 20th week of gestation.

Infant Mortality Rate

The proportion of babies born alive who die within the first year.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

The sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant under age 1 when the cause of death remains unexplained.

Cephalocaudal Principle

Describes development in a head-to-tail direction, where upper parts of the body develop before the trunk.

Proximodistal Principle

Describes growth and motor development proceeding from the center of the body outward.

Chronic Malnutrition

Caused by poverty, low-quality foods, and contaminated water, leading to millions of child deaths worldwide each year.

Central Nervous System

Composed of the brain and spinal cord.

Brain Growth Spurts

Fits and starts in brain growth.

Brain Stem

Part of the brain primarily concerned with regulation.

Cerebellum

Part of the brain primarily concerned with muscle coordination.

Cerebral Hemisphere

Part of the brain containing four lobes.

Occipital Lobe

The lobe of the cerebral hemisphere concerned with visual processing.

Parietal Lobe

The lobe of the cerebral hemisphere that controls sensory integration.

Temporal Lobe

The lobe of the cerebral hemisphere that interprets smells and sounds and is involved in memory.

Frontal Lobe

The lobe of the cerebral hemisphere involved with higher-order processes like inhibition and planning.

Neurons

Brain cells that send and receive information.

Glial Cells

Brain cells that nourish and protect neurons.

Integration (Neurons)

The process by which neurons that control various groups of muscles coordinate their activities.

Differentiation (Neurons)

The process by which neurons take on a specific, specialized structure and function.

Cell Death (Brain Development)

The normal elimination of excess brain cells to achieve efficient functioning.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Characterized by deficits in language, difficulties with social interaction, and repetitive movements.

Reflex Behavior

Automatic, innate responses to stimulation.

Primitive Reflexes

Early reflexes in infants that typically disappear by 6-12 months (e.g., sucking).

Plasticity (Brain)

The malleability of the brain, enabling learning and modification by experience.

First Sense to Develop (Womb)

Touch.

Least Developed Sense (Birth)

Sight.

Denver Developmental Screening Test

A tool that charts motor skill progress between ages 1 month and 6 years to identify children who are not developing normally.

Gross Motor Skills

Motor skills involving large muscle groups such as rolling over.

Fine Motor Skills

Motor skills that use small muscles like grasping a rattle.

Sensory Perception

Enables infants to learn about the environment so they can navigate it.

Visual Guidance

The use of the eyes to guide movements of the hands and other parts of the body.

Depth Perception

The ability to perceive objects and surfaces three dimensionally.

Haptic Perception

The ability to acquire information about objects from touch, typically developing around 6 months.

Visual Cliff Studies

Studies that used an illusion of depth to assess depth perception in infants.

Ecological Theory of Perception

States that developing motor and perceptual abilities are interdependent and part of a functional system guiding behavior in varying contexts.

Dynamic Systems Theory (Learning)

A theory stating that learning occurs through detecting the many features of an environment, enabling babies to gauge their environment with experience.