WGU D202 Human Growth and Development

What is the embryonic period?

Weeks 3-8 of pregnancy, formation of placenta and brain development

What is the fetal period?

From the end of the embryonic period until the end of pregnancy, viability at 24 weeks

What influences sexual orientation?

Genetics, birth order, hormones

What are some maternal factors that can affect fetal development?

Age, environmental teratogens, diabetes, high blood pressure, Rh factor, weight gain, stress, depression

What are some risks during pregnancy?

Ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion

How many stages are there in labor for vaginal delivery?

Three

What are the other types of delivery?

Cesarean and induced

What is the APGAR score?

Assessment of newborn's heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes, etc.

What is NBAS?

Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale used to assess newborns.

When does the postpartum phase begin and end?

Begins after birth and ends when mother's body returns to pre-pregnancy form.

What are maternal worries in the postpartum phase?

Mother's needs and changes in taking on new responsibilities.

What is postpartum anxiety?

Elevated sense of worry about the infant following childbirth.

What is postpartum depression?

Unusual sadness occurring after childbirth.

What is postpartum psychosis?

Serious mental illness affecting new mothers after childbirth.

Why should new mothers seek medical assistance for postpartum anxiety?

To address elevated worries about the infant.

What is physical growth?

Increase in body size and organ size in babies.

What does physical development aid in?

Maintenance of healthy weight, strong bones, muscles, and heart.

What is motor development?

Physical growth and strengthening of bones and muscles in children.

What do gross motor skills focus on?

Large muscle groups controlling head, torso, arms, and legs.

What is the cephalocaudal path of development?

Development that proceeds from head to tail.

What is the proximodistal path of development?

Development that proceeds from midline outward.

What is sensory development?

Processes used to take in information from the environment.

How can sensory processes be affected?

By the infant's developing motor abilities.

Why is nutrition important for health and development?

It is related to improved infant, child, and maternal health and stronger immune systems.

What is kwashiorkor?

A disease caused by protein deficiency.

When does kwashiorkor often occur?

After the birth of another sibling.

What are genes?

Inherited building blocks that determine development.

What is mitosis?

Nucleus makes copy of chromosomes and splits into two cells.

What happens in meiosis?

Chromosomes duplicate and divide twice, resulting in four cells.

What is genotype?

Sum total of inherited genes.

What is phenotype?

Features that are expressed.

What are dominant genes?

Express themselves in phenotype.

What are recessive genes?

Express themselves only when paired with similar gene.

What disorders are linked to genetics?

Sickle cell disease, Tay-Sachs disease, Tourette's syndrome, fragile X syndrome, hemophilia.

What is a chromosomal abnormality?

Inheriting too many or too few chromosomes.

What are teratogens?

Environmental factors that can cause disorders in infants.

What are examples of teratogens?

Smoking, binge drinking, mercury exposure, rubella.

What is synaptogenesis?

Rapid growth of synapses in the brain.

What is synaptic pruning?

Elimination of unnecessary synapses.

What is neuroplasticity?

Brain's ability to change and adapt.

Where does most neural activity occur in the infant brain?

Cortex.

How many hemispheres does the brain cortex have?

Two.

How many lobes are in each hemisphere of the brain?

Four.

What are the folds separating the lobes called?

Fissures.

What is the average amount of sleep for a newborn?

Approximately 16.5 hours per 24-hour period.

What percentage of sleep time do newborns spend in the REM phase?

Close to 50 percent.

What are the grasping and stepping reflexes eventually replaced by?

More voluntary behaviors.

Which reflexes disappear within the first few months of life?

Grasping and stepping reflexes.

Which reflexes remain and serve important functions?

Eye-blink, swallowing, sneezing, and others.

What is the pincer grasp?

Ability to grasp an object using the forefinger and thumb.

What is the palmer grasp?

The use of the fingers and palm, but no thumbs.

What are schemata or schemas?

Mental frameworks or concepts developed through assimilation and accommodation.

What is infantile amnesia?

The inability to recall memories from the first few years of life.

What is a phoneme?

The smallest unit of sound that makes a meaningful difference in a language.

What are phonemes?

Distinct sounds used in language.

What is cooing?

One-syllable combination of consonant and vowel sound.

How do deaf babies communicate?

Through gestures.

When do children start using their first words?

Around 12 or 13 months of age.

What is divided attention?

Ability to switch focus between tasks or stimuli.

Do younger children have more difficulty maintaining attention?

Yes.

What is sensory memory?

First stage of the memory system.

What is short-term or working memory?

Second stage of the memory system.

What is long-term memory?

Third stage of the memory system.

What are semantic memories?

Memories for facts and knowledge not tied to a timeline.

What are episodic memories?

Memories tied to specific events in time.

What is epigenetics?

Study of how modifications in DNA affect gene expression.

What are genotype-environment correlations?

Processes by which genetic factors contribute to variations in the environment.

What is bi-directional influence?

Parents and children mutually influence each other.

What is temperament?

Child characteristics that affect parenting behaviors and roles.

What is goodness of fit?

Rapport between individual temperament and the surrounding environment.

What do infants show attraction to?

Pleasant situations and withdrawal from unpleasant stimulation.

When do infants begin to recognize themselves?

Between 15 and 24 months.

What is attachment?

Close bond between caregiver and infant, foundation for future relationships.

According to Freud, why do infants become attached to their mother?

She satisfies their oral needs and provides pleasure.

What is Erikson's theory of psychosocial development?

Importance of an infant developing a basic sense of trust in caregivers.

How many hours of sleep do two-year-olds need per day?

15 to 16 hours.

How many hours of sleep do six-year-olds need per day?

7 to 8 hours.

How much does a child's vocabulary expand between ages two and six?

Considerably, learning 10 to 20 new words per week.

What do collectivistic cultures emphasize?

Conformity to family and cultural values.

What do individualistic cultures encourage children to do?

Think for themselves.

What is autism spectrum disorder?

Misunderstood and puzzling neurodevelopmental disorder.

What is Erikson's third stage?

Initiative vs. guilt

What are cognitive skills?

Skills that result in changes in self-concept and self-esteem

What is gender identity?

Sense of self as male or female

What is social learning theory?

Behavior is learned through observation, modeling, reinforcement, and punishment

What is cognitive social learning theory?

Emphasizes reinforcement, punishment, and imitation, but adds cognitive processes

What is gender schema theory?

Children develop their own conceptions of attributes associated with maleness or femaleness

What is developmental intergroup theory?

Gender stereotypes are strong due to cultural emphasis on gender

What is transgender?

Gender identification differs from assigned sex at birth

What is gender dysphoria?

Anxiety caused by mismatch between biological sex and gender identity

What is cisgender?

Gender identity is the same as assigned sex at birth

What is intersex?

A person is born without or with a mix of male and female reproductive organs, hormones, or chromosomes

What are the six types of play among children ages two to five?

Unoccupied, solitary, onlooker, parallel, associative, and cooperative play

What are the positive outcomes of play for children?

Higher cognitive performance, better language comprehension and production, and higher levels of school readiness

What are the effects of higher quality care?

Higher cognitive performance, better language comprehension and production, and higher levels of school readiness

What are the effects of lower quality care?

More behavioral problems and poorer cognitive, language, and school readiness

What is child abuse?

Child abuse is any action that causes physical or emotional harm to a child, potentially leading to death.

What is the impact of child abuse?

Child abuse can have lifelong effects on the child's physical and emotional well-being.

What are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)?

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur during childhood and can increase the risk for stress-related diseases and cognitive impairment in adulthood.

How does long-term stress affect the brain and health?

Long-term stress can disrupt brain functioning, cognitive skills, emotional processing, and physiological health.