Human Development and Growth Notes

Growth

• Quantitative increase in physical size.
• Measurable physical changes throughout life.
• Multiplication of cells from fertilization to maturity.
• Measured in Kg, pounds, meters, inches.

Development

• Qualitative increase in functional capacity of specialized tissues.
• Measure of functional/physiological maturation of nervous system.
• Accomplishment of mental, emotional, and social abilities.
• Changes in intellectual, mental, and emotional skills over time.

Growth vs. Development

Principles of Growth & Development

• Cephalocaudal: Head-to-toe development.
• Proximodistal: Center/midline to periphery.
• General to Specific: From sounds to words to sentences; gross motor to fine motor skills.
• Differentiality: Uneven pace; individual differences.
• Influence: Environmental and genetic factors.
• Predictability: Patterned and predictable.
• Simple to Complex
• Continuity: Conception to death.

Growth Patterns and Curves

• Lymphoid: Increases during childhood, decreases during puberty.
• Neural: Completed by age 6.
• Maxilla/Mandible: Intermediate between neural and general.
• General: Skeletal, viscera, muscles; continues throughout life.
• Genital: Begins at puberty.

Scammon's Curve - General Growth

• First Rapid Phase (Birth - 3 years):
  • Infantile growth spurt (2x birth weight by 6 months, 3x by 1 year, 4x by 2 years).
  • Height increase of 2-2.5 cm per month in the 1st year.
  • Weight increases from 3kg to 12kg (30% of adult weight).
• Slow Progressive Phase (3 - 10 years):
  • Boys slightly taller than girls.
  • 60% of adult weight achieved.
• Second Rapid Phase (10 - 16 years):
  • Pubertal spurt (3.5kg/year, 4-7cm/year).
  • Influenced by sex hormones, growth hormones and fat deposition in girls and muscular growth in males.
• Slow growth phase: Occurs between 16 – 20 years
  • Steady growth to complete growth patterns

Factors Influencing Growth & Development

• Genetic: Parental traits, race, sex, disorders.
• Prenatal: Maternal nutrition, infection, substance use.
• Postnatal: Nutrition, illness, environment, culture, socio-economics, climate, exercise, hormones.

Stages of Growth

• Prenatal Period (Conception to Birth):
  • Fertilized ovum (egg).
  • Germinal Stage - Zygote (0-2 weeks): Cell reproduction, Blastocyst.
  • Embryo (2-8 weeks): Organ development; susceptible to defects.
    • Ectoderm: skin, nails, hair, teeth, nervous system.
    • Mesoderm: inner skin, musculoskeletal system, bone marrow, heart, blood vessels.
    • Endoderm: linings of internal organs.
  • Foetus (9-40 weeks): Organ development continues, growth in size.
• Postnatal Period:
  • Neonate (0-28 days): Establishing respiration and circulation.
  • Infancy (28 days-1 year): Rapid growth, neuromuscular development, reflexes (suckling, placing, tonic, stepping, moro, babinsky, parachute, grasp, rooting).
  • Early Childhood (1-6 years): Toddler (1-3 years), Preschool (3-6 years).
  • Middle Childhood (6-12 years).
  • Adolescence (12-18 years).
  • Early Adulthood (19-40 Years)
  • Middle Adulthood (40-65 Years)
  • Late Adulthood (65 Years and Older)

Developmental Milestones

• Physical and behavioral signs of maturation.
• Rolling, crawling, walking, talking.
• Reflect motor, social, language skills.

Key Gross Motor Milestones

• 3 months – head supporting
• 5 months – sitting with support
• 8 months – sitting without support
• 9 months – standing with support
• 10 months – cruising (trying to walk with support)
• 12 months – standing without support
• 14 months – walking without support
• 18 months – running
• 24 months – walking upstairs

Fine Motor/Adaptive Milestones

• Eye, hand-eye, and hand-mouth coordination.
• 4 weeks – regards torch/red ring
• 6 weeks – follows object from side to side
• 2-3 months – follows with steady movements of eyes
• Binocular vision by 3-6 months
• 4 months – tries to grasp red ring
• 5 months – reaches out & grasps object with ulnar side
• 6 months – radial grasp, transfers objects from hand to hand
• 10 months – pincer grasp
• 1 year – tries to feed with spoon
• 15 months – feeds with spoon
• 18 months – feeds self from cup
• Book Skills:
  • 13 months – turn 2-3 pages at a time
  • 24 months – turns 1 page at a time
• Scribbling:
  • 12-24 months – scribbles
  • 2 years – copies vertical line
  • 2 ½ years –copies horizontal line
  • 3 years – circle
  • 4 years – cross, rectangle
  • 5 years – copies cross, triangle

Social Development

• 1 month - regards face of mother/caretaker
• 2 months - social smile
• 3 months - recognizes mother/caretaker
• 6 months - enjoys mirror
• 7-8 months - separation anxiety
• 9 months - waves bye-bye

Language Development

• 1 month - turns head towards sound
• 3-5 months - vowel sounds, gurgles
• 6 months – monosyllables
• 9 months – bisyllables
• 10 months - understands spoken speech
• 12 months - speaks 2 words with meaning
• 18 months - 20 words
• 24 months - joins 2-3 words in a short sentence
• 3 years - 250 words

Four Main Types of Growth and Development

• Physical: Body changes.
• Mental: Intellectual development, problem-solving.
• Emotional: Feelings and dealing with them.
• Social: Interactions and relationships.

Theories of Development

Freud's Psychosexual Stages:

Erikson's Psychosocial Stages:

Growth & Development: Differences (Repeated Content)

Importance of Growth and Development in Nursing

• Assess normal growth and development.
• Identify deviations from normal.
• Understand disease conditions.
• Understand child's needs.
• Guide parents and caregivers.
• Differentiate normal vs. deviant behaviors.
• Detect mental retardation and neurological disorders.