Infancy & Early Childhood Development Vocabulary (3)

A set of 35 vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to infant and toddler development, health promotion, safety, and psychosocial milestones.

Sensorimotor stage

Piaget’s first stage (birth–2 yr) in which infants learn through sensory impressions and motor activities.

Basic trust versus mistrust

Erikson’s infancy task; consistent fulfillment of needs builds trust, unmet needs foster mistrust.

Separation anxiety

Predictable distress beginning ≈8 months when infants are separated from their primary caregiver.

Crawling

Early locomotion with abdomen on the floor, usually appears around 7 months.

Creeping

Movement on hands and knees with abdomen off the floor, typically seen at about 9 months.

Standing with support

Milestone reached around 9–10 months when an infant can pull to stand and cruise along furniture.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Unexpected death of a healthy infant, peaking at 2–3 months, with no identifiable cause.

Back to sleep recommendation

Placing infants supine for sleep to reduce the risk of SIDS.

Sensorimotor play

Play that stimulates senses and motor skills, e.g., mobiles, mirrors, textured toys.

Solitary play

Infant play style in which the child plays alone without interacting with other children.

Bottle-mouth syndrome

Severe dental decay from prolonged nighttime exposure of teeth to sugared liquids.

Primary dentition schedule

Timeline for eruption of 20 deciduous teeth from ≈6 months to completion by 30 months.

Teething signs

Irritability, swollen red gums, drooling, and stool changes appearing 3–4 weeks before a tooth erupts.

Exclusive breastfeeding

Feeding only breast milk for the first 6 months, as recommended by the AAP.

Demand feeding

Feeding newborns whenever they signal hunger, often every 2 hours early in life.

Iron stores

Maternal iron reserves in full-term infants that last about 5–6 months before supplementation is needed.

Single-ingredient food rule

Introduce one new solid at a time, waiting several days to watch for allergies.

Finger foods

Small, soft pieces that older infants can self-feed, encouraging exploration and fine-motor skill.

Water intoxication

Dangerous dilutional hyponatremia in infants given excessive water before 4 months.

Weaning

Gradual transition from breast or bottle to a training cup, usually begun around 9 months.

Apical pulse (infant)

Heart rate taken at the apex for one full minute; averages ~120 beats/min at 2 months.

Infant respiratory rate

Resting rate that decreases to about 30 breaths/min by 12 months.

Speech intelligibility

Percentage of speech understood by strangers; ~65 % at 2 years, 70–80 % at 3 years.

Fluoride toothpaste

Dentifrice with fluoride recommended once teeth erupt, especially where water lacks fluoride.

Schema

Innate mental structure infants use to organize and interpret information, per Piaget.

Attachment behavior

Infant behaviors (smiling, vocalizing, clinging) that promote bonding with the primary caregiver.

Infant safety seat

Properly installed rear-facing car seat required to protect infants during transportation.

Lead-based paint hazard

Risk of lead poisoning from chipped pre-1978 paint; surfaces should be inspected and remediated.

Flame-retardant sleepwear

Sleep clothing treated to resist ignition, reducing burn risk in infants and children.

Shyness / stranger anxiety

Fearful reactions to unfamiliar people that typically emerge around 8–9 months.

Lumbar lordosis

Normal exaggerated inward lumbar curve seen in toddlers, giving a sway-back posture.

Potbelly appearance

Protruding abdomen in toddlers caused by weak abdominal muscles; resolves as they strengthen.

Deciduous teeth

The 20 primary teeth that erupt in early childhood and later are replaced by permanent teeth.

Toddler vital signs

Typical values: pulse 90–120 bpm, respirations 20–30/min, BP ≈80–100/64 mm Hg, temperature 98–99 °F.

Reaching and grasping

Improving hand coordination between 4–8 months that lets infants manipulate and explore objects.