Physical Growth and Development - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to physical development, nutrition, developmental stages, and developmental theories from the notes.

Physical development

The increasing skill and functioning of the body; growth in height, weight, and size, driven by nourishment.

Growth

Physical increase in height, weight, and overall body size.

Development

Acquisition of new skills and abilities across physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains.

Undernutrition

Insufficient intake of energy and nutrients to meet an individual's health needs; can lead to stunting and wasting.

Stunting

Chronic undernutrition that impairs a child’s mental and physical development.

Wasting

Low weight-for-height; indicates recent or severe weight loss due to inadequate intake or illness.

Overweight

Excess body weight from high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt foods; linked to health risks.

Cardiovascular insufficiency

Inadequate blood flow potentially arising from obesity-related health problems.

Type 2 diabetes

Metabolic disorder associated with obesity and family history, characterized by insulin resistance.

Immunity

The body's ability to resist infection; can be weakened by undernutrition.

Developmental milestones

Age-specific functional abilities used to track typical child development.

Newborn

0–3 months; early reflexes and automatic responses to stimuli.

Infancy

0–12 months; rapid development including recognition of familiar faces, babbling, head control, and sitting.

Toddler

1–3 years; walking/running, fine motor skills, language growth, and following simple instructions.

Preschooler

3–5 years; refined motor skills, drawing, toilet training, longer sentences.

School-age child

Typically 6–12 years; further development of motor and cognitive skills.

Milestones tracking

Monitoring whether a child attains expected developmental markers at the appropriate ages.

Reflexes

Involuntary motor responses in newborns (e.g., reactions to sounds, turning head).

Sensorimotor Stage (Piaget)

0–2 years; knowledge derived from sensory perception and motor actions.

Pre-operational Stage (Piaget)

2–6 years; language development and limited logical thinking; egocentrism.

Concrete Operational Stage (Piaget)

7–11 years; logical reasoning about concrete events; difficulty with abstraction.

Formal Operational Stage (Piaget)

12+ years; abstract thinking, symbolic reasoning, and deductive logic.

Bowlby’s Attachment Theory

Early caregiver relationships shape social development; innate drive to form attachments.

Social Learning Theory (Bandura)

Learning through observation and modeling; not limited to conditioning.

Cognitive Development (Piaget)

Study of how thought processes develop and influence understanding of the world.

Nature vs. Nurture

Debate on whether traits are inherited or shaped by experience; current view sees interaction of both.

Therapies for developmental delays

Interventions such as physical, occupational, speech-language therapy, early education, and behavioral therapy.

Routine screening

Regular checks to identify developmental delays early and guide referrals.

Benefits of physical development

Improved health, motor skills, muscle/bone strength, lipid profiles, mood, and disease risk reduction.

Independence with physical development

Growing ability to sit, roll, walk, run, jump, and self-care as motor skills mature.

Social-emotional development

Ability to relate to others and regulate emotions; supported by motor skill gains and interactions.

Cognitive development (general)

Development of thinking and reasoning abilities influenced by physical growth and environment.

Physical activity and cognition

Active movement and play support cognitive development and learning.