Infancy and Toddlerhood - Practice Flashcards

A set of practice questions covering key concepts from infancy and toddlerhood, including physical, brain, cognitive, language, social-emotional development, as well as notable theories, milestones, and health considerations.

What is the average birth weight and length of a US newborn?

About 7.5 pounds and 20 inches long.

How much newborn weight is typically lost in the first few days, and why?

About 5% of birth weight due to waste elimination and adjusting to feeding.

By age 4 months, how does infant weight change, and what are the later milestones by age 1 and age 2?

Weight typically doubles by 4 months, triples by 1 year, and quadruples by age 2.

How does head proportion change from birth to adulthood?

At birth the head is about 25% of body length; by age 25 it is about 20%.

Approximately how many neurons are present at birth?

About 86–128 billion neurons.

What is dendritic exuberance?

A rapid proliferation of dendrites, so a single neuron may have thousands of dendrites by age two.

What is synaptogenesis?

The formation of connections between neurons.

What is synaptic pruning?

The process of reducing neural connections to strengthen those that are used.

What is myelin and why is it important?

A fatty coating around axons that speeds the transmission of impulses and helps create neural pathways.

How much does the infant brain weigh at birth and at one year?

At birth about 250 grams; at one year about 750 grams.

Which brain lobes correspond to thinking/memory (frontal), touch (parietal), vision (occipital), and hearing/language (temporal)?

Frontal lobe: thinking/memory/judgment; Parietal: touch; Occipital: vision; Temporal: hearing/language.

What is lateralization in brain function?

Differential localization of function to one hemisphere; language often left-hemisphere–dominant, visuospatial often right-hemisphere–dominant.

What is neuroplasticity?

The brain’s ability to change physically and chemically in response to experience and age; greatest in infancy.

How many hours does a newborn typically sleep in 24 hours, and what percent of that is REM?

About 16.5 hours total; roughly 50% REM in newborns (decreases with age).

Define Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) and its three commonly reported types.

SUID is unexpected death in infants <1 year with no obvious cause; types: SIDS, Unknown Cause, and Accidental Suffocation/Strangulation in Bed (ASSB).

What is the SIDS primary concern or hypothesis related to brainstem function?

Abnormalities in brainstem regions regulating breathing may contribute to SIDS.

List common infant reflexes found in Table 3.1.

Sucking, Rooting, Grasp, Babinski, Moro, Tonic Neck, Stepping (among others).

What are cephalocaudal and proximodistal principles in motor development?

Cephalocaudal: development from head to tail (e.g., head control before trunk); Proximodistal: from midline outward (e.g., arm control before fingers).

What is the typical order of gross motor milestone progression?

Hold head up, sit with/without support, crawl, pull up, cruise, walk.

What is the Palmer grasp and when does the Pincer grasp emerge?

Palmer grasp uses the whole hand around 4 months; Pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger) around 9 months.

How does infant vision develop in terms of acuity and the fovea?

Newborns see about 8–10 inches away; fovea not fully developed at birth and reaches adult levels around 15 months; color seen by about 5 months.

When does binocular vision begin and when do depth cues become evident?

Binocular vision around the 3rd month; depth perception evident by about 6 months, including in pictures.

Describe newborn hearing and language-related development milestones.

Newborns prefer mother’s voice; can distinguish sounds and native language by 6–9 months; they are ready to respond to speech sounds early on.

What are the basic taste and smell preferences in newborns?

Newborns distinguish sour, bitter, sweet, and salt; they prefer sweet tastes and the smell of their mother.

What does intermodal perception refer to in infancy?

The ability to integrate information from two or more senses (e.g., matching lip movements to speech sounds by 4 months).

What is habituation and what does it predict?

Decreased response to repeated stimulus; the rate of habituation predicts later language and cognitive outcomes.

What is colostrum and why is breast milk considered ideal for newborns?

Colostrum is the initial, nutrient-rich milk; breast milk provides ideal nutrition and antibodies and is easier to digest.

When should solid foods be introduced, and what readiness signs indicate interest?

Typically 4–6 months or later when the infant can sit with support, has head control, shows interest, and can move food to the back of the mouth.

What are stunting, wasting, and overweight in global malnutrition terms?

Stunting: below height-for-age; Wasting: below weight-for-height; Overweight: excess weight for age. Each reflects different nutritional problems.

Name the six Piagetian sensorimotor substages and their approximate age ranges.

Substage 1: Reflexes (0–1 month); Substage 2: Primary Circular Reactions (1–4 months); Substage 3: Secondary Circular Reactions (4–8 months); Substage 4: Coordination of Secondary Circular Reactions (8–12 months); Substage 5: Tertiary Circular Reactions (12–18 months); Substage 6: Beginning of Representational Thought (18–24 months).

What is object permanence and when is it typically developed?

Understanding that objects exist even when out of sight; typically develops around 8 months.

What is stranger anxiety and when does it commonly appear?

Fear of unfamiliar people, typically emerging after object permanence (roughly 6–15 months).

How did Baillargeon’s findings challenge Piaget’s view of object permanence?

Infants show understanding of object permanence earlier than Piaget predicted, demonstrated through looking at impossible events.

Describe Rovee-Collier’s infant memory findings.

Infants can form memories that are context-dependent; memories can persist for days to weeks with reminders; deferred imitation emerges around 6–12 months.

What are the key language components?

Phonemes (smallest sound units); Morphemes (smallest units of meaning); Semantics (meaning rules); Syntax (grammar); Pragmatics (social use).

What are some early language development milestones from birth to 2 years?

Cooing (early vocal play), babbling (consonant-vowel sequences), holophrastic speech (single words around 12–13 months), two-word/telegraphic speech (18–24 months).

What is the debate between nativist and learning theories of language?

Nativist view (Chomsky): a language acquisition device and universal grammar; Learning theory view (Skinner/Bandura): language learned via reinforcement and imitation; both/nurture contribute.

Which brain areas are associated with language, and what are their roles?

Broca’s area (left frontal) for language production; Wernicke’s area (left temporal) for language comprehension.

What is the concept of a language critical period?

A developmental window between infancy and puberty during which language learning is most easily acquired.

What is the Strange Situation, and how many attachment styles are identified?

A lab procedure to assess infant attachment with caregiver; four styles: secure, ambivalent (resistant), avoidant, disorganized.

What is the typical distribution of attachment styles in the U.S. according to Ainsworth/Madigan analyses?

Approximately 65% secure, 20% avoidant, 10–15% ambivalent, 5–10% disorganized.

How do culture and caregiving practices influence attachment patterns?

Cross-cultural differences exist; secure attachment is common across cultures, while rates of insecure styles vary; culture shapes responses and caregiving norms.

What is Erikson’s stage of Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt about?

Toddlers strive for independence; overprotection or excessive doubt can lead to shame and doubt and hinder autonomy.

What are the main ideas of temperament and its role in parenting?

Temperament: innate patterns of mood and reactivity (Easy, Difficult, Slow-to-Warm-Up); goodness-of-fit with parenting affects development.

What is the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development used for?

Assess five domains (cognition, language, social-emotional, motor, adaptive behavior) to identify delays and guide interventions.

What were some COVID-19-related impacts on infancy language development?

Masks reduced access to visual speech cues; fewer language models in daycare; potential slower language development for some infants.

What are the safety guidelines and trends related to bed-sharing and SUID?

Safe sleep guidelines discourage bed-sharing; recommendations and campaigns reduced SUID rates, though some rates fluctuated in recent years.