3.2 Physical Development Across the Lifespan

What happens to the body and brain during prenatal development?

Undergo rapid growth and formation

Stages in which body and brain undergo rapid growth and formation during prenatal development:

Germinal, embryonic, fetal stage

Factors that can influence prenatal development:

Teratogens, maternal illness, genetic mutations, hormones, environmental factors, maternal stress

What are teratogens?

Substances that can cause birth defects or developmental problems in developing fetus

Examples of teratogens:

Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, environmental toxins

Is it important for the mother to avoid teratogens during pregnancy?

Yes

Why is it important for the mother to avoid teratogens during pregnancy?

They can cause birth defects

What could result from a mother consuming alcohol while pregnant?

Fetal alcohol syndrome

What can fetal alcohol syndrome cause?

Physical, cognitive, and behavioral problems for infant

What could result from mother smoking during pregnancy?

Restriction of oxygen flow to fetus

What can restriction of oxygen flow to fetus lead to?

Low birth weight, underdevelopment, premature birth

What is maternal illness?

A disease or infection mother experiences during pregnancy affecting fetus

What is important in light of maternal illnesses?

Regular checkups during pregnancy

Why are regular checkups during pregnancy important?

Infections or illnesses can be detected early on

What does detecting infections or illnesses early on during pregnancy allow for?

Interventions to help

How can genetic mutations occur?

Spontaneously or inherited from parents

What can genetic mutations lead to?

Genetic disorders

What do genetic mutations affect?

Physical and cognitive development

Example of genetic mutation:

Extra copy of chromosome 21 results in down syndrome

What results in turner syndrome?

Female missing or has incomplete X chromosome

What are hormones?

Chemical messengers that regulate bodily functions and behaviors

What do the bodily functions and behaviors that hormones regulate include?

Aspects of fetal development

Examples of aspects of fetal development that hormones regulate:

Brain growth and development

What can imbalances in hormones lead to?

Atypical brain development

What may atypical brain development affect?

Behavior and cognitive abilities

Examples of environmental factors that affect prenatal development:

Air pollution, water contamination, radiation, pesticides

What can the maternal stress that mother experiences during pregnancy impact?

Fetal brain development

What does the fact that maternal stress during pregnancy impacts fetal brain development highlight?

Importance of maintaining positive and stable environment throughout pregnancy

Do the factors affecting prenatal development interact with each other?

Yes

Example of interaction of factors that affect fetal development:

Genetic mutations make fetus more susceptible to effects of teratogens or environmental toxins

Which factor affecting fetal development is impacted by maternal illness?

Hormonal balance

Which factor affecting fetal development can be impacted by environmentl factors?

Genetic mutations

What do genetic mutations influence?

Gene expression

What do infants have when they are first born?

Infant reflexes

What are infant reflexes?

Neurological responses or involuntary movements that help with survival

In whom are infant reflexes present in?

Newborns and young infants

When do infant reflexes stop?

When infant is 4-6 months old

Why do doctors check babies’ reflexes?

To see if brain and nervous system are functioning properly

Metaphor for infant reflexes:

Cheat codes

Examples of infant reflexes:

Palmar grasp, plantar grasp, babinski reflex, rooting reflex

What is the palmar grasp?

When finger is placed in baby’s palm, baby will close hand around it

What is the plantar grasp?

When finger is placed underneath baby’s toes, they will curl their toes

What is the babinski reflex?

When sole of baby’s foot is stroked, big toe will move upward and other toes fan out

What is the rooting reflex?

When baby’s cheek is gently stroked near mouth, they will turn in that direction with mouth open read to eat

What does the presence of infant reflexes indicate?

Healthy neurological development

What do we see physical development in infancy and childhood happen in?

Same order

Example of physical development in infancy and childhood always happening in the same order:

Babies usually roll over before sit up

Is the order of physical development in infancy and childhood consistent?

Yes

Can the age at which children reach each milestone vary?

Yes

What can the fact that the age at which children reach each milestone can vary be due to?

Genetic, environmental, cultural factors

Example of children reaching milestone earlier:

Child spending more time in tummy time develops neck and shoulder muscles faster

What is tummy time?

Child spending time on stomach during play time

What does the faster development of neck and shoulder muscles help with?

Earlier crawling

What does a child develop as they develop?

Fine and gross motor skills

What do gross motor skills involve?

Larger movements

Examples of gross motor skills:

Crawling and walking

What do gross motor skills allow child to do?

Navigate environment

What do fine motor skills involve?

Smaller movements

Example of fine motor skills:

Holding spoon

What are fine motor skills critical for?

Feeding, drawing, playing

What does a child continue to gain as they develop?

More freedom to explore environment

What does a child getting more freedom to explore environment allow them to do?

Become more aware of all of their surroundings

What does a child being more aware of all their surroundings allow for?

Learning

What does the visual cliff experiment provide insight into?

When an infant develops depth perception

What did researchers use in the visual cliff experiment?

Visual cliff apparatus

What did researchers use the visual cliff apparatus in the visual cliff experiment to do?

Create illusion of drop off

In the visual cliff experiment, what is placed over the drop?

Sturdy glass surface

What does the sturdy glass surface placed over the drop in the visual cliff experiment ensure?

Infants can’t actually fall

What did parents do in the visual cliff experiment?

Stood on other side of table and encouraged child to go to them

What does the fact that infants hesitate or refuse to cross glass covered drop off in the visual cliff experiment indicate?

Infant has developed depth perception

What does the visual cliff experiment highlight?

How quickly infants gain ability to perceive depth

What are there in early development?

Critical and sensitive periods

What is the brain especially receptive to during critical and sensitive periods?

Acquiring certain skills

What are critical and sensitive periods critical for?

Developing skills

Example of skills that critical and sensitive periods are critical for developing:

Language

Do only humans have critical and sensitive periods?

No

Example of critical period in animals:

Imprinting

What does imprint mean?

Forming attachment with first moving object newborn animal sees

What generally is the first moving object a newborn animal sees?

Its mother

What is a critical period?

A specific window of time when particular skill or behavior must be acquired

What would happen if the necessary experiences or stimuli for a skill are missing during a critical period?

Development of that skill may be significantly hindered or impossible to achieve later on

What is a sensitive period?

A time period where the brain is able to more quickly learn certain skills

Example of sensitive period:

It takes less effort to learn dance moves as a kid than as adult

Is it still possible to learn a skill in life if an individual misses the sensitive period for learning it?

Yes

What is the drawback of learning skill after the sensitive period for learning it?

It is much harder to learn it

What do critical and sensitive periods show the importance of?

Having stimulating environments for children

What are critical and sensitive periods times of?

Easier learning of specific skills

What sensitive period occurs during the first few years of a child’s life?

Sensitive period for language development

What is a child exposed to during the first few years of his life?

Language

What is the consequence of babies not exposed to language during the sensitive period for language development?

They will struggle to fully acquire language later in life

What do individuals experience during adolescence?

Significant physical, psychological, and emotional changes

What does adolescence start with?

Puberty

What does an individual reach during puberty?

Sexual maturity

What does reaching sexual maturity mean?

Individual can reproduce

What does the start of puberty bring?

Hormonal changes, more intense emotional swings, development of primary and secondary sex characteristics

What are primary sex characteristics directly related to?

Reproductive system and ability to reproduce

What do primary sex characteristics include for girls?

Menarche

What is menarche?

First time girls menstrate

What do primary sex characteristics include for boys?

Spermarche

What is spermarche?

First time boys ejaculate