Physical Growth And Developement

Four areas of child development

1. Physical:

   • Motor maturation

   • Growth of body and CNS

   • Height and weight

   • Sensory capacity

   • Muscular and physical coordination

2. Cognitive

   • Intellectual processes

   • Change and stability in mental abilities

3. Language

   • Communication and understanding

4. Socio-emotional

   • Personality, emotional life, social relationships

Five periods of child development

• Pre-natal

• Infancy (birth-18 months) and Toddlerhood (18-24 months):

  • Infancy: identify familiar faces, use basic utensils and respond to facial expressions, learn few words and may walk on their own

  • Toddlerhood: pretend games, play with other children, follow 2-part directions and say names of familiar people, run

• Early Childhood (3-5) Middle Childhood (6-11)

  • Early: likes and dislikes, count, colors, name, address, play

  • Middle: problem-solving skills, confidence, friendships, interests and reading skills

• Adolescence (12-adulthood): independence, opinions, puberty, dating, sexuality

Schema

Cognitive structures that first appear during childhood and help children organize knowledge that helps them learn ways to view the world and adapt

• Can create bias

Child’s developmental milestones

Mark stages of growth, each represents a higher level of function than its predecessor

Normative vs. Individual vs. Dynamic development

• Normative: typical capabilities

• Individual: vary from the norm and has continuity within each child’s pathway

• Dynamic development: sequence and changes over time and their interaction

Nature vs Nurture in Growth and Development

• Basic Brain Structures are present at birth → nature

• Experiences influence brain connections → nurture

What 4 Factors affect Physical Development?

• Heredity: determines growth hormones

• Nutrition: breastfeeding vs bottle, malnutrition, obesity

• Infectious Diseases: immunization

• Emotional well-being: neglect can cause cognitive delay and increased risk for psychological disorders and stunted physical growth

Infant (birth-18m) physical development

• Small faces, large eyes

• Touch, pain, vision is sharp at 6m, hearing, smell, taste, voice recognition

• Cranium nearer to adult size but no new neurons

• 27 major reflexes

• Motor development start with self locomotion and continues depending on environment and culture

  • Everything in mouth at 4m

  • Sit without support 6m

  • Crawls 9m

  • Grip and grasp 9-12m

  • Walk 1yr

  • Eat with spoon 18m

    

Toddler (18m- 2yr) physical development

• Naps, adult-dependent

• Climbs 18m

• Handedness 18m

• Developing fine motor skills

• Runs (2yr)

• Health and safety issues

Early Childhood (3-5yr) physical development

• Walks erect

• Overeating and sleep related issues

• Rides tricycle

• Alternates feet in stair climbing

• Tooth decay is prevalent at this life stage

• Fine motor skills and artistic development

• Hand preference develops

• Health and safety issues such as minor illnesses, accident, temperament

• 4 year old

  • Dresses except for back buttons

  • Cant set limits until exhausted

  • Scribbles and finger paints

• 5 year old

  • Enjoys hand skills

  • Draws recognizable man

  • Dancing

  • Fights

  • rapid muscle growth

Middle Childhood (6-11) growth and development

• Beginning of lose tooth time

• Greater apetite

• Sexual groeth latency

• Physicsl play increases

• Colds, sore throatgs, etc

• Nervous habits

Adolescence (12y+)

• Begins with puberty

• Beggins 2-3 years earlier in girls

• Growth spurts that precedes sexual maturity

• Sleep and eating disorders