hdfs - chapter 4

height and weight

• highest rate of growth in first year

• weight doubles in first 5 months and triples by the end of the first year

  • plump is good

• height growth in spurts

cephalocaudal development

the biological pattern of physical growth and motor control that proceeds from the head downward to the feet

proximodistal development

the growth and motor control pattern that starts at the center of the body and moves outward to the extremities

brain development

• production of neurons starts by week 7 of prenatal development

• at birth, brain is ¼ the size of an adults brain

• by age 2, it will reach 70%

• growth in brain due to

  • exuberance - dendritic connections multiply

  • myelination - axons become encased in a myelin sheath

  • efficiency increases due to synaptic pruning

production of neurons begins by

week 7 of prenatal development

exuberance

a period of rapid, temporary growth in the number of brain connections (synapses and dendrites) that happens during infancy and early childhood

myelination

the crucial developmental process where specialized glial cells wrap fatty-protein layers (myelin) around nerve cell axons to insulate them and speed up electrical signal transmission

synaptic pruning

the natural biological process where the brain eliminates weak or unused neural connections (synapse) to make remaining pathways more efficient

brain specialization

brain is divided into 3 major regions

1. hindbrain (matures early; basic biological functions)

2. midbrain (matures early; basic biological functions)

3. forebrain

   1. limbic system - hypothalamus, thalamus, hippocampus

   2. cerebral cortex - hemispheres and lobes

lobes of the brain

• frontal lobe - highest processes, including planning for the future, and making decisions

• parietal lobe - processes bodily sensations

• occipital lobe - processes visual information

• temporal lobe - processes auditory information, including language

frontal lobe

highest processes, including planning for the future, making decisions

parietal lobe

processes bodily sensations

occipital lobe

processes visual information

temporal lobe

processes auditory information, including language

brain plasticity

• plasticity is important for the infant’s brain development

• adaptable to overcome damage

• environmental deprivation can have permanent effects

sleep changes

• neonates sleep 16 - 17h

• at 3 to 4 months, they sleep 6 to 7 hours at night

• at 6 months, cultural patterns influence sleep patterns

sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

convergence of 3 factors

• babies aged 2 - 4 months at higher risk

• vulnerable infant (LBW, low apgar scale, heart and respiratory issues)

• environmental risk

  • sleeping on back is recommended

co sleeping

a general term for parents or caregivers sleeping in close proximity to an infant or young child

• more predominant in developing or collectivistic cultures, families of low SES, and mothers who breastfeed

• infant wakes more frequently

crib/solitary sleeping

• more predominant in western cultures

• the US warns against it

  • excessive dependence, and SIDS

infant nutrition

• infants needs a high fat diet that breast milk provides

• about 4 - 6 months may introduce solid foods

  • west - rice cereal

  • traditional cultures - mashed, prechewed, pureed

at how many months can you introduce solid foods

4 - 6 months

infant mortality

• most infant mortality is neonatal mortality

• top reasons for infant mortality in developing

  • malnutrition

  • malaria

  • diarrhea

• in developed: sids

3 reasons for infant mortality in developing

1. malnutrition

2. malaria

3. diarrhea

reason for infant mortality in developed

SIDS

gross motor skills

large movements we make using the large muscle groups in our arms, legs, and torso

infant gross motor

• includes whole body movements like crawling

• tend to develop skills in sequence but variability in timing (steps occur in certain order but the timing will differ)

fine motor development

more precise motor abilities

infant fine motor development

• opposable thumb

• major accomplishments include reaching and grasping

• will also exhibit pincer grasp that allows feeding of themselves

pincer grasp

a fine-motor milestone where a baby uses their thumb and index finger to pick up small objects.

depth perception

the visual ability to perceive the world in three dimensions and judge the distance between objects

depth perception in infants

• influenced by development of binocular vision around 3 months of age

• becomes important when children become mobile

“visual cliff” experiment

The Visual Cliff Experiment is a famous 1960 psychological study by Eleanor Gibson and Richard Walk at Cornell University designed to test depth perception in infants and animals.

infant intermodal perception

an infant's ability to connect and combine information from two or more senses—such as sight, sound, touch, or movement—into a single, unified experience

infant intermodal progress

• 1 month - match things in mouth to things they touch

• 8 months - match unfamiliar faces with correct voice and gender

piaget’s cognitive developmental theory information

• each stage involves a different way of thinking

• cognitive changes proceed in distinct stages

• organized into coherent mental structures

piaget’s basic concepts

• schemes

  • cognitive structures for processing, organizing, and interpreting information

• assimilation

  • new information is altered to fit into an existing theme

• accommodation

  • is a scheme that changes to adapt new information

scheme (piaget)

cognitive structures for processing, organizing, and interpreting information

assimilation (piaget)

new information is altered to fit into an existing theme

accommodation (piaget)

is a scheme that changes to adapt new information

sensorimotor stage

• first two years

• change from relflex to intentional action

• object permanence - understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight (8 - 12 months)

object permanence

understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight

information processing model

• views cognitive changes as continuous

• humans thinking divided into capacities for attention, processing, and memory

orienting response

an involuntary reflex where a baby turns their head, eyes, or attention toward a new, strange, or sudden change in their environment

habituation

a basic form of learning where a baby shows a decreased response or loss of interest after being repeatedly exposed to the same stimulus

dishabituation

the sudden renewal or return of attention to a familiar stimulus after a new, different stimulus is introduced

infant language development

• 2 months - cooing

• 4 - 10months - babbling

• 8 - 10 months - gesturing, baby signs

• 10 - 12 months - comprehension of words, simple sentences

• 12 months - first word

when do babies start cooing?

2 months

when do babies start babbling?

4 - 10 months

when do babies start gesturing?

8 - 10 months

when do babies say simple sentences and comprehend words?

10 - 12 months

when do babies say their first word?

12 months

speaking to infants

infant-directed speech

• short, simple sentences

• higher pitch

• exaggerated intonation

• word repetition

temperament

their natural, inborn style of reacting to the world and processing everyday experiences.

temperament 3 categories (thomas and chess)

• easy

• difficult

• slow to warm up

child temperament (rothbart and barstein)

• self regulation added

• 14 qualities in three overarching categories

goodness of fit

• temperament of child and parental ability to be sensitive and responsive

• predicts later outcomes

• more important for infants with difficult temperament

dandelion child

Generally more resilient across a wide range of environments. They may function reasonably well despite stress, instability, or less-than-ideal circumstances.

orchid child

More environmentally sensitive. They may struggle more in adverse conditions, but can also thrive particularly well in supportive, nurturing environments.

infant emotions

• primary emotions (emerge 2 - 7 months)

  • anger (7 months)

  • joy (2 - 3 months)

  • surprise (6 months)

  • fear (stranger anxiety) (6months)

  • sadness (rare)

• secondary emotions later (toddlers)

infants emotional perceptions

• emotional contagion

• still face experiment show how infants quickly learn to expect certain emotional reactions

• by 7 months can match auditory to visual emotions

• 9 - 10 months show social referencing

still face experiment

showed that babies become distressed and try to reconnect when a caregiver suddenly stops responding to them, highlighting the importance of responsive interaction.

social interaction

• affects every aspect of infant development

• infants learn about the world through joint attention and social referencing

• infants experience social development throughout a small circle

  • especially primary caregiver

traditional cultures in infant social life

• infant with mother for early months

• after 6 months, daily care by older girls; multiple caregivers each day

• co sleep with mother

• carried or held constantly

• father is remote/absent

developed cultures in social life

• nuclear family is typical

• mother and infant often alone together

• infant may sleep seperately

• father is more involved

erikson’s theory

• first stage focuses on trust vs mistrust

• centers around the emotional and social bond, not the biological bond

• developing trust in infancy provides foundation for social development

foundation of development - bowlby’s attachment theory

• focused on importance of early quality relationships

  • primary caregiver must be sensitive and responsive

  • also sees formation of trust as essential

• attachment theory has evolutionary bases and in research on mother - offspring relationships in animal species

bowlby’s attachment theory

human infants have an innate biological need to form a close emotional bond with a primary caregiver to ensure survival and healthy development