Physical Development in Infancy

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to physical development in infancy, including brain development, sleep, nutrition, motor skills, and sensory/perceptual development.

Infant Physical Development

Extensive growth evident in the first two years of life, with a rapid growth sequence during the second year.

Average North American Newborn Size

Approximately 20 inches in length and 7.6 pounds in weight.

Neurons

Brain cells that undergo significant changes during infancy, including myelination and increased connectivity.

Myelination

The process by which the axons of brain neurons are covered with a layer of fat cells, improving the speed and efficiency of electrical signals.

Brain Plasticity

The brain's ability to be flexible and resilient, constantly wired and rewired by experiences and environmental conditions.

Sleep in Infancy

Essential for restoring, replenishing, and rebuilding the brain and body; vital for brain plasticity by increasing synaptic connections.

Newborn Sleep Duration

Typical newborns sleep approximately 18 hours a day and spend more time in REM sleep compared to adults.

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

A condition where an infant stops breathing, usually during sleep, and dies suddenly without an apparent cause. Risk factors include low birth-weight, maternal smoking, and bed sharing.

Breastfeeding Benefits for Infants

Associated with better weight gain, denser bones, a lower incidence of SIDS, and a strengthened immune system.

Breastfeeding Benefits for Mothers

Includes a lower incidence of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, reduced rates of type 2 diabetes, and lower hospitalization rates.

Dynamic Systems View (Motor Development)

A perspective that views motor development not as a result of nature, but as infants assembling motor skills to perceive and act as solutions to goals, influenced by environment and perceptions.

Reflexes

Built-in reactions to stimuli that are automatic and inborn, such as the rooting, sucking, Moro, and grasping reflexes.

Gross Motor Skills

Large-muscle activities, including the development of posture and learning to walk, which typically occurs around the first birthday.

Fine Motor Skills

Finely tuned movements that involve reaching, grasping, and manipulating objects with precision, such as the palmer grasp and pincer grip.

Palmer Grasp

An infant's grasping of an object with the whole hand.

Pincer Grip

An infant's grasping of an object using the thumb and forefinger.

Sensation

The process by which information about the world is received through the sensory organs.

Perception

The interpretation of what is sensed, influenced by an ecological view that suggests direct perception of information.

Affordances

Opportunities for interaction offered by objects in the environment that fit within an individual's capabilities to perform activities.

Infant Visual Perception

Infants show an early interest in human faces, progressively scanning more of the face and demonstrating a preference for their mother's face.

Perceptual Constancy

The ability to recognize that an object remains the same even though the sensory stimulation from the object changes, including size constancy and shape constancy.

Nativists (Perceptual Development)

Proponents of the 'nature' side of the debate, suggesting that the ability to perceive the world in an organized way is inborn or innate.

Empiricists (Perceptual Development)

Those who emphasize learning and experience as the primary drivers of perceptual development.