DP Ch 3: First 2 Years of Life (Age Group 1)

4 critical areas of adjustment for newborns

Digestion

Respiration

Circulation

Temperature regulation

neurons

nerve cells that connect & communicate with each other via sending/receiving signals

synaptic pruning

process where brain gets rid of unused neurons to make room & strengthen neurons that are being used

myelination

process where brain produces myelin to protect and speed up normal processes

• white fatty coating surround nerve cells

• birth

  • in areas that process breathing, regulation heart rate and sensory functions

  • later switches to areas for language, emotion, motor skills and self-regulation

sensation

physical stimulation of sensory organs

perception

brain making sense of information

reflexes

involuntary motor movements in response to particular stimuli

rooting reflex

baby turns head towards anything that touches their cheek in search of food

sensorimotor intelligence

way infants think by using their senses & motor skills during first period of cognitive development

information processing theory

human cognition & comprehension occurs step by step

average newborn weight

7-7.5 lbs

average newborn height

20-21 inches

brain weight at birth

25% of adult brain

babies & vision

• least mature

  • newborn: can only see 8-10 inches away

babies & hearing

• developed prenatally

  • can respond to outside sound

babies & smell

• functioning at birth

• remembers odors they were exposed to early in

babies & taste

• buds form in early fetal development

• prefer sweet than sour

babies & touch

can process & feel pain, heat and cold

gross motor skills

abilities involving large body movements (walking or jumping)

fine motor skills

abilities involving small body movements, especially of hands & fingers

babinski reflex

extension of big toe & fanning of other toes when sole of foot is touched

stepping reflex

when parent holds child up and they try to walk; disappears when they actually start walking

swimming reflex

automatic response from infants when placed in water; disappears when you learn to swim

moro/startle reflex

• involuntary

• done when baby experiences sudden movement, noise, sensation or feeling of falling

• lasts 4-6 months

• reactions:

  • throwing back their head

  • extending arms & legs

  • spreading fingers

  • hugging motion of arms

signs of sensorimotor assimilation

• sucking reflex (2 months)

  • object permanence & attachment (6. months)

speech

• 6 months: babble

• 12 months: first words

• 18 months: pointing & naming things

language acquisition device (LAD)

hypothesized mental structure that enables humans to learn language