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Chapter 3: Infant Development

Newborn Characteristics

• Average Weight and Length of Newborns:

  • Average weight: about 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg)

  • Average length: about 20 inches (50 cm)

Infant Development Metrics

• Percentiles:

  • Used to compare a child's measurements (weight, length) to those of peers.

  • A percentile indicates the percentage of infants in a reference group who are smaller or equally sized.

Importance of Infant Sleep

• Typical Sleeping Pattern:

  • Newborns sleep 16-18 hours a day, with frequent waking.

  • Sleep cycles consist of REM and non-REM sleep.

• Types of Sleep:

  • REM sleep is crucial for brain development.

• Co-Sleeping:

  • Advantages: Increased bonding and easier breastfeeding.

  • Disadvantages: Potential safety risks such as suffocation.

Reflexes and Sensory Capacities

• Newborn Reflexes:

  • Grasping, rooting, and stepping reflexes are automatic responses to stimuli.

• Sensory Capacities:

  • Vision: Limited at birth; develops to see 20/20 by age 1.

  • Hearing: Newborns can hear and respond to sounds, preferring their mother's voice.

  • Touch, Taste, and Smell: Sensitive to touch; can recognize sweet tastes and distinct smells.

Brain Development

• Exuberance:

  • Rapid growth of neural connections in the infant brain.

• Pruning:

  • Elimination of excess neurons to increase efficiency in neural processing.

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

• Possible Causes:

  • Sleep position, environmental factors (smoking, overheating).

• Risk Reduction:

  • Placing infants on their backs to sleep, breastfeeding, and using a firm sleep surface.

Shaken Baby Syndrome

• Effects on the Brain:

  • Can cause severe brain injury, bleeding, and even death.

• Long-term Effects:

  • Cognitive impairments, emotional disturbances.

Infant Crying

• Understanding Infant Crying:

  • A means of communication for hunger, discomfort, or need for attention.

Infant Motor Skills

• Development:

  • Progresses from reflexive movements to voluntary actions like reaching and eventually walking.

• Walking:

  • Typically begins around 12 months; involves strength and coordination improvements.

Breastfeeding

• Recommendations:

  • Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, continuing for at least 1 year.

Infant Memory

• Development of Object Permanence:

  • Understanding that objects still exist when not visible; develops around 8-12 months.

Language Development

• Universal Sequence of Language:

  1. Cooing (2-3 months)

  2. Babbling (4-6 months)

  3. First words (12 months)

• Language Acquisition Device:

  • Proposed by Noam Chomsky; innate mechanism for language learning.

• Various Theories of Language Development:

  • Nativist, learning, and interactionist perspectives.

Chapter 4: Emotional and Social Development

Early Emotions

• Emotions Displayed:

  • Joy, anger, sadness, and fear; emerges gradually in the first year.

• Primary vs. Secondary Emotions:

  • Primary: direct responses (e.g., joy, anger).

  • Secondary: Complexity (e.g., embarrassment, guilt).

Developmental Concepts

• Separation Anxiety:

  • Fear of being apart from caregivers; rises around 8 months.

• Stranger Wariness:

  • Cautiousness towards unfamiliar people; peaks at 6-12 months.

Self-Awareness

• Definition:

  • Conscious knowledge of oneself as an individual.

• Study on Self-Awareness:

  • Mirror test: infants show self-recognition by touching marked faces in mirrors.

Temperament

• Types According to Chess and Thomas:

  • Easy, difficult, slow-to-warm-up.

• Dimensions of Temperament:

  • Activity level, emotional reactivity, sociability.

• Stability of Temperament:

  • Moderate stability; can predict later behavior.

Self-Regulation

• Definition:

  • Ability to manage emotions and behaviors.

• Effortful Control:

  • Managing impulses; critical for achieving self-regulation.

Attachment

• Concept:

  • Emotional bond with caregivers; crucial for survival and development.

• Types of Attachment:

  • Secure, avoidant, resistive.

Parenting Styles

• Types:

  • Authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, neglectful; impact child's development and behavior.

• Research on Parenting Styles:

  • Baumrind's studies reveal lasting effects on children.

Chapter 5: Early Childhood Development

Growth Patterns

• Early Childhood Growth:

  • Steady growth in height and weight; critical nutrition needed for development.

• Obesity:

  • Rising concern; related to diet and activity levels.

Brain Development

• Myelination:

  • Process that improves speed and efficiency of neural transmission.

• Lateralization:

  • Functional specialization of the brain's hemispheres.

• Corpus Callosum:

  • Connects left and right hemispheres, facilitating communication.

Prefrontal Cortex

• Functions:

  • Involved in decision-making, impulse control, and complex thought processes.

Preoperational Stage (Piaget)

• Major Attainments:

  • Symbolic thinking, egocentrism, and intuitive reasoning.

• Obstacles to Logic:

  • Centration (focusing on one aspect), conservation (understanding physical properties), egocentrism (inability to see others' perspectives).

Vygotsky’s Contributions

• Theoretical Approach:

  • Language as a tool for cognitive development; promotes social interaction.

• Zone of Proximal Development:

  • Difference between what a learner can do unsupported and what they can do with guidance.

• Scaffolding:

  • Support provided to help children learn new skills.

Executive Functioning

• Definition:

  • Cognitive processes that manage and regulate behavior; predicts academic success.

• Theory of Mind:

  • Understanding others' thoughts and feelings; develops around age 4-5.

Language Development and Timing

• Learning Two Languages:

  • Benefits cognitive flexibility but may delay initial language acquisition.

Early Childhood Programs

• Teacher-Directed vs. Child-Directed Programs:

  • Teacher-directed emphasizes structured learning; child-directed promotes exploration.

• Head Start Research:

  • Positive effects on cognitive and social development for disadvantaged children.

Erikson’s Developmental Stages

• Infant and Toddler Stages:

  • Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt.

• Early Childhood Stages:

  • Initiative vs. Guilt.

Chapter 6: Emotional and Cognitive Development

Erikson and Piaget’s Stages

• Erikson’s Stages:

  • Eight stages covering the entire lifespan; each focuses on key psychosocial challenges.

• Piaget’s Stages:

  • Four stages; each represents different cognitive development milestones.

Emotional Self-Regulation

• Definition:

  • Managing emotions to respond appropriately; developing through experiences.

• Parenting Support:

  • Encouragement and modeling of emotional responses help children learn self-regulation.

Brain Maturation

• Development During Early Childhood:

  • Growth in regions associated with planning, reasoning, and emotional regulation.

Marshmallow Test

• Implications:

  • Studies self-control, demonstrating long-term benefits of delayed gratification.

Motivation and Praise

• Research Findings:

  • Praising effort rather than intelligence fosters a growth mindset.

Types of Play

• Play Types:

  • Functional, constructive, dramatic, and games with rules; evolve as children age.

• Social Play Goals:

  • Develop social skills, learn negotiation, and practice cooperation.

• Rough and Tumble Play:

  • Teaches physical and emotional control.

Screen Time

• Recommendations and Effects:

  • Limited screen time; excessive exposure associated with attention issues.

Parenting Styles

• Dimensions of Parenting:

  • Authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, neglectful; impact on emotional and social adjustment.

• Baumrind’s Research:

  • Highlights effectiveness and outcomes of each parenting style.

Goodness of Fit and Discipline

• Fit Between Child and Environment:

  • Alignment of temperament and parenting style for optimal development.

• Discipline Strategies:

  • Alternatives to spanking include positive reinforcement and time-outs.

Types of Aggression

• Understanding Aggression:

  • Instrumental (for achieving a goal) vs. hostile (intended to harm); different developmental trajectories.