Infancy Flashcards

Flashcards about Infancy

Infant Mortality

Historically high, but decreased with improved nutrition and disease control. Focus in 1960's on consequences of poor early development led to Head Start in 1965 and Early Head Start in 1995.

Societal Changes Impacting Infants

Both parents working, more unmarried women, more teenage mothers, increased substance abuse impact infant development

Lanham Act

Government support for child care during WWII

Infancy Stage

From birth to approximately 2 years of age

Hallmarks of Infancy

Physical growth, motor development, vocal development, cognitive and social development

Physical Growth Milestones

Birth weight doubles by 5 months; birth length doubles by 3-4 years of age. Rapid brain growth.

Maturational Theory

Genetically programmed sequence of development.

Milestones

Tool to understand typical development sequence, identifies risk for developmental delay (not a disorder). Screening recommended at 9, 18, and 24 (or 30) months.

Gross Motor Skills

Large muscle activities; practiced. Reflexes disappear by 6 months. Sequence: head control, rolling, sitting, creeping, cruising, walking.

Fine Motor Skills

Smaller muscle activities. Sequence: grasping, transferring, banging, pincer grasp, imitating scribbles

Newborn's Nervous System Assessment

Active and quiet sleep provide information. Unstable patterns indicate atypical brain development. Predicted subsequent developmental outcomes

Infant Mental Health

Promotes healthy social and emotional development from birth to 3. Capacity to experience/regulate emotions, form relationships, explore environment.

AIMS (Assessment of Interaction, Mastery and Social Support)

Instrument for assessing emotional wellbeing in children birth to 5 years old

Interventions for Emotional Development

Show admiration, point out ability to hear baby, discuss parental roles, discuss infant milestones

Early Intervention for Developmental Delay

Programs developed as alternatives to institutionalization to enhance development via exercises and activities.

Biophysical Hazards

Injury, illness, SIDS. Requires preventive measures by parents.

Breastfeeding

Exclusive breastfeeding recommended for first 6 months. Provides antibodies, protection against infections/SIDS, long-term benefits.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Unexpected death of infant without physical cause. More common in first year. Risk factors and causes believed to be changes in airways, infections, stomach sleeping.

Intelligence

Measure of problem-solving, language, attention, and memory

Cognitive Development: Problem-Solving

Manipulating objects to achieve goals. Follows sequence of object permanence.

Piaget's Theory

Sensorimotor stage (birth-2 years): Through circular reactions, develops from reflexes to intentional behavior.

How Baby's Process Information

Habituation (become uninterested in a stimulus) and dishabituation (increased responsiveness after stimulus change)

Cognitive Development: Language

Representation of thoughts using culturally agreed upon signals. Expressive and receptive abilities. Environmental exposure is essential.

Language milestones Timeline

Crying, cooing, laughing, babbling, mama/dada, first word.

Holophrastic Speech and Overextension

1-word equals a whole sentence; Overextension uses 1 word (“dog”) to mean a category (“animal”)

Telegraphic speech

Combine 2-word phrases

Social/Emotional Development

Discriminates mother's voice, reciprocal smiling, stops crying at voice, stranger/separation anxiety, social referencing, empathy, pretend play.

Temperament

Characteristic pattern of responding/interacting. Dimensions: easy, slow to warm up, difficult, behavioral inhibition. Goodness of fit with environment is important.

Attachment

Forming a strong emotional tie to a caregiver. Programmed to form bonds. Easier when baby is responsive. Implications for functioning. Assessed via 'Strange Situation'.

Attachment Styles

Secure (uses mother as base), insecure avoidant (indifferent), insecure anxious (clingy/angry).

Self-Awareness

Sense of self as object by 18 months. Task: separate from others.

Self Regulation

Baby's obeying when not in presence of others

Psychological Hazards

Attachment problems (failure to form attachment/loss of caregiver), failure to thrive (organic/nonorganic causes).

Circular Influences in the Family

Marital relations, parent interactions, family stress

Social Strengths and Hazards

Father involvement, maternal grandmother, playing, adoption, daycare, abuse. Appropriate environment: able to read baby's needs.