Patterns of Human Development, Prenatal Care, and Infancy Vocabulary

Comprehensive key terms and definitions derived from the developmental psychology, trauma, prenatal care, and infant development lecture notes.

Lifespan Perspective

An approach to development that emphasizes observing developmental changes not only in infancy through adolescence, but into adulthood.

Nature v. Nurture

The debate over whether development is influenced more by biological inheritance or environmental influence.

Continuity & Discontinuity

The issue regarding how much of development involves gradual change versus distinct change in stages.

Contexts

Environments in which development occurs, including families, neighborhoods, friends, and schools.

Biological Process

A dimension of development involving physiological changes in the body, genes inherited from parents, and brain development.

Cognitive Process

A dimension of development involving changes in thoughts, language, intelligence, and gaining knowledge through experience, thoughts, and senses.

Socioemotional Process

A dimension of development involving changes in relationships, emotions, and personality.

Acute Trauma

Trauma that results from a single incident.

Chronic Trauma

Trauma that is repeated and prolonged, such as domestic violence or abuse.

Complex Trauma

Exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events, often of an invasive, interpersonal nature.

Developmental Trauma

Trauma resulting from adverse childhood experiences.

Vicarious Trauma

Indirect exposure to trauma through a firsthand account or narrative of a traumatic event; also known as compassion fatigue.

Epigenetic View

The perspective that molecular modifications to genes occur as a result of environmental influence, where development is the result of ongoing, bidirectional interchange between heredity and environment.

Passive Genotype-Environment Correlations

Correlations that occur because all environment factors are already presented to the individual by parents.

Evocative Genotype-Environment Correlations

Correlations that occur because an individual's genetically shaped characteristics elicit environmental responses, making the environment change for the individual.

Active (Niche-Picking) Genotype-Environment Correlations

Correlations that occur when children seek out environments that they find compatible and stimulating.

Germinal Period

The first two weeks of pregnancy characterized by rapid cell division.

Embryonic Period

The period of prenatal development from two to eight weeks, during which organs and life support systems (umbilical cord, amnion, placenta) develop.

Fetal Period

The last seven months of pregnancy, characterized by significant and rapid growth until birth.

Teratogen

Any agent that can cause birth defects or negatively alter cognitive and behavioral outcomes in a baby during prenatal development.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

A condition caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, leading to intellectual disabilities, memory challenges, impaired cognitive processing, and altered facial features or small stature.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

The impact of using opioids or drugs during pregnancy, causing the infant to be born addicted and experience low birth weight, withdrawal, ADHD, respiratory problems, and decreased self-regulation.

Apgar Scale

An assessment tool measuring newborn health on Activity Level, Pulse, Grimace, Appearance, and Respiration; a total score of 7-10 is normal, while 4-6 points indicates intervention is needed.

Low Birth Weight Infant

An infant born weighing less than 5 and 1/2 pounds (with Very Low Birth Weight being less than 3 and 1/2 pounds, and Extremely Low being less than 2 pounds).

Preterm Birth

An infant born 3 weeks or more before the pregnancy has reached full term.

Small for Date Infant

An infant whose birth weight is below normal despite the length of pregnancy.

Kangaroo Care

Skin-to-skin contact with low weight infants for 2-3 hours a day, which helps stabilize heart rate, temperature, breathing, and increases weight gain.

Massage Therapy

An intervention that increases weight gain, leads to early hospital discharge, and soothes infant pain associated with withdrawal symptoms in neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Postpartum Period

The period after childbirth lasting about 6 weeks until the body adjusts back to a prepregnant state.

Postpartum Depression

Classified in DSM-5 as Depression with peripartum onset, involving major depressive episodes developing during pregnancy or within 4 weeks after birth (or within 6 months post-birth).

Postpartum Psychosis

An extremely rare postpartum condition that includes thoughts of harming oneself and/or the baby.

Primary Emotions

Emotions present in the first 6 months of life, including joy, surprise, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust.

Self-Conscious Emotions

Emotions beginning with self-concept, awareness, and self-evaluation, including pride, guilt, shame, and embarrassment.

Reflexive Smile

A smile present in a newborn that does not occur in response to external stimuli.

Social Smile

A smile that occurs in response to an external stimulus, typically developing around 2 months of age.

Anticipatory Smile

A smile appearing around 8-10 months of age.

Temperament

Individual differences in behavioral styles, emotions, and ways of responding that are believed to be mostly genetic or biological.

Behavioral Inhibition

Jerome Kagan's temperament concept describing a child who is shy, subdued, timid, or inhibited to the unfamiliar.

Goodness of Fit

The match between a child's temperament and the environmental demands the child must cope with.

Neuroconstructivist View

A perspective stating that brain development is influenced by both genes AND environment, and is closely linked to cognitive development in a child.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

A condition where infants stop breathing usually during the night and die suddenly without an apparent cause, with highest risk between 2-4 months of age.