A1: physical development

Growth (4)

• an increase in the size, height or mass of the body.

• It occurs because of an increase in the size and/or number of body cells.

• Growth can be measured using things such as height, weight and body dimensions.

• In infants, growth can be monitored using percentile charts to see whether their growth is within the expected range.

Development

• the orderly sequence of changes through which a person gains new skills and abilities

There are four main areas of development:

• Physical – changes to the body and physical abilities

• Intellectual – development of thinking, reasoning and understanding

• Emotional – development of feelings and ability to manage emotions

• Social – development of relationships and interaction with others

Gross motor skills (2)+5 examples

• Gross motor skills involve the large muscle groups of the body.

• They allow a person to perform larger movements and control their head, trunk, arms and legs.

Eg:

• Crawling

• Walking

• Running

• Jumping

• Climbing

Fine motor skills (2)+5 examples

• Fine motor skills involve smaller, more precise movements, particularly using the hands, fingers and wrists.

• Fine motor skills are more precise and sophisticated than gross motor skills.

Eg:

• Picking up small objects

• Drawing

• Writing

• Using a pincer grip

• Using a palm grasp

the different grips an infant develops

• Palmer grasp (gross) – around 6 months: using the whole hand/palm to grasp an object.

• Pincer grip – around 9–12 months: using the thumb and forefinger to pick up a small object.

How is an infant’s physical development monitored (eg.6)

• Weighing them to monitor growth

• Checking their developmental milestones

• Observing their gross motor skills

• Observing their fine motor skills

• Monitoring vocalisation

• Monitoring the development of their senses

• using the growth chart

This helps identify whether the infant is developing as expected.

early childhood age

3-8

physical development in early childhood

• children continue to grow in height and weight, with their body becoming more proportional

• gross and fine motor skills become more developed

• hand to eye and foot to eye coordination improve, allowing more complex movements

• muscles and bones become stronger

• become more independant with tasks like dressing and, eating

children develop at different rates due to factors such as genetics, nutrition, exercise and, health

adolescence age

9 - 18

Physical development during adolescence

• During adolescence, puberty causes major physical changes.

• These include growth and the development of primary and secondary sexual characteristics.

puberty

• a period of rapid growth during which young people reach sexual maturity, and become biologically able to reproduce

• it is triggered by the action of hormones that controll sexual development

what are primary and secondary sexual characteristics

• Primary sexual characteristics (present at birth but develops during puberty) involve the reproductive organs and are directly related to reproduction. (the external genetalia, penis, or vagina)

• Secondary sexual characteristics are physical changes that occur during puberty but are not directly involved in reproduction. (eg, pubic hair, breasts and facial hair)

priamary sexual characteristics in boys and girls (3+3)

for girls:

• the uterus enlargens and the vagina lengthens

• the overies begin to release eggs

• the menstrual cycle commences

for boys:

• enlargment of penis and testes

• spontaneous erections caused by blood flowing into chmabers in th epenis may happen

• the testicles begin to produce sperm, beginning of ejaculation

secodary sexual charactersitics in boys and girls (3+3)

for girls:

• breasts develop and areola ( the area around the nipple) swells and darkens

• hair grows in armpits and pubic area

• redistribution of body fat causing hips to widen

for boys:

• changes in larynx ( Adams apple) causing voice to deepen

• hair grows in armpits and pubic area, facial hair

• redistribution of muscle tissue and fat

hormones associated with puberty

sex hormones are responsible for the changes that occur during puberty; they control the onset and rate of puberty

females:

• oestrogen and progesterone are produced by the ovaries; they cause changes including ovulation and menstruation

males:

• testosterone is produced by the testes; it stimulates sperm production, indicating the onset of fertility

• causes secondary sexual characteristics, such as a deeper voice

the pituitary gland controls the release of sex hormones in females and males

they control egg and sperm production, leading to fertility

changes in hormone levels can cause mood swings and make puberty emotionally difficult

early adulthood age

19 - 45

Physical development during early adulthood

• By early adulthood, a person has reached physical maturity. (19 - 28)

• Physical abilities generally reach their peak, including:

• Muscle strength

• Reaction time

• Sensory abilities

• height

• Cardiac functioning

• Early adulthood can also involve pregnancy and lactation

• most fertile

During lactation:

• Prolactin stimulates milk production.

• Oxytocin helps with milk flow

preganacy

• pregnancy and lactation are key phases in an adult female lifespan

• women are most fertile (20 - early 30s)

• pregnancy hormones cause physical and emotional chnages in preparation for parenthood

• there is an increase in progesterone, wich helps to maintain the pregnancy

• there is an increase in oestrogen, which may be responsible for the sickness some women experince in early pregnancy

hormones involved with pregnancy and lactation

progesterone:

• helps maintain the pregnancy by keeping the lining of the uterus thick, providing a suitable environment for the developing embryo/fetus

• helps prevent the uterus from contracting too early

oetrogen:

• levels increase during pregnancy

• helps the uterus and placenta grow as the baby develops

• helps prepare the breats for breastfeeding

• can contribute to sickness/ nausea in early pregnancy

prolactin:

• stimulates the breats to produce breast milk after childbirth

• helps maintain milk production when the baby continues to breastfeed

oxytocin:

• causes the muscles around the milk-producing glands in the breasts to contract, pushing milk towards the nipples; known as the ‘let-down reflex‘, allowing the baby to feed

• causes contractions of the uterus during labour

lactation

• lactation is the production and release of breast milk by the breasts after childbirth

• hormonal changes affect the shape and appearance of the breasts as they prepare for lactation

• the veins become darker and more visible because of an increased blood supply to the breasts

• breasts become more sensitive and tender

perimenopause

• perimenopause is the transition period before menopause when the ovaries gradually begin to produce less oestrogen

• the ovaries gradually produces less oestrogen, which means they eventually stop releasing an egg each month

• on average perimenopause lasts around 4 years, but be from a few months to as long as 10 years

• it ends when a women has not had a monthly period in 12 months, which is when menopause

• the reduction in oestrogen causes the physical and emotional symptoms experienced during perimenopause

emotional and physical effects of perimenopause (5+5)

physical:

• hot flushes

• night sweats

• irregular periods

• vaginal dryness

• reduced sex drive

emtional:

• mood swings

• anxiety

• low mood

• difficulty concentrating

• changes in confidence / self esteem

middle adulthood age

46 - 65

Physical development during middle adulthood

during middle adulthood adults begin to experince physical changes associated with the ageing process, this can include:

• changes in body shape and weight as adults may gain weight as they age, this can lead to ‘middle-aged spread‘; this is when adults continue eating similar amounts of food but become less physically active

• skin loses elasticity, so it becomes less firm

• loss of muscle tone and muscle strength decreases

• graying, thinning, and hair loss

• gradual decline in vision and hearing

• the immune system can gradually become less effective, meaning the bodys ability to respond to infections can decline

• many women will begin menopause

menopause

• between the ages of 45 and 55 fertility reduces and then comes to an end, this process is called menopause

menopause involves:

• menstruation ends, so periods stop

• a large reduction of fertile eggs in the ovaries

hormones involved in menopause

• gonadotrpins increase as they try to stimulate egg production

• the ovaries produce less of the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone

• these hormonal changes cause physical and emotional effects

physical effects of hormonal changes during menopause

an increase in gonadotropins causes:

• hot flushes

• night sweats

an reduction in the sex hormones; oestrogen and progesterone causes:

• shrinkage of sexual organs

• reduction in sexual interest

• increased risk of oesteoporosis

emotional effects of hormonal changes during menopause

• mood changes

• depression

• anxiety

• irritability

• low self esteem and confidence, affecting quality of life

later adulthood age

65+

physical development in later adulthood

during later adulthood, the body continues to experince changes as part of the ageing process

• muscle mass, tone and strength decrease; which can make everyday activities more difficult

• bone density decreases; making bones more fragile and increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures

• felxibilty and mobility decrease; making movement and activites such as bending or climbing stairs harder

• reaction time becomes slower; which can affect coordination and balance

• vision declines; difficulty seeing clearly or adjusting to changes in light

• hearing may decline; making it harder to hear conversations, particularly in noisy environments

• skin becomes thinner and loses elasticity; leading to more wrinkles and sagging

• hair becomes thinner and greyer, and hair loss ma increase

• the immune system becomes less effective; making the body less able to fight infections

• height can decrease up to 5cm; because of changes to the bone and spine

• the body generally becomes slower to recover from ilness and injuries