02_Physical Development and Health Flashcards
Size of the brain at birth
25% of adult weight of brain
80% = by two years old (mostly due to synaptogenesis)
Development of the cerebral cortex
Birth = almost completely undeveloped
First two months = primary motor and sensory areas
PFC = continues to mature through childhood and adolescence, not fully developed until early/mid-20s
Neuronal atrophy:
When? Where? Compensatory mechanism?
By age 30, brain starts to gradually shrink
Mostly occurs in PFC
Compensation through neurogenesis in hippocampus and other areas
Sense that is the Least developed at birth
Vision
Newborn sees approx. only 20 feet at birth
Age at which infant’s visual acuity is close to normal adult
6 months
Age at which newborns prefer to look at faces
&
Age they prefer face of mother over unfamiliar women
2-5 days after birth: Prefer to look at faces
By 2 months: prefer face of mother over unfamiliar women
Age by which newborns distinguish between different voices and show preference for sound of mother’s voice
3 months
Name the age range for the following Developmental Milestones:
Raise chin from ground
Turn head side to side
Play with hands and fingers
Bring objects in hand to mouth
1-3 months
Name the age range for the following Developmental Milestones:
Roll from abdomen to back
Sit on lap, reaches and grasps
Sits alone and stands with help
4-6 months
Name the age range for Developmental Milestones of:
Increased coordination
Sit alone without support
Begin crawling and creeping
Pull self to standing by holding furniture
7-9 months
Developmental Milestones, Age Range for:
Stands alone and walks with help
10-12 months
~12months: first steps alone
Developmental Milestones, Age Range for:
Walks alone with wide-based gait
Creeps up stairs
Scribbles spontaneously
Uses cup well
13-15 months
Name the age range for Developmental Milestones of:
Run clumsily
Walk upstairs with hand held
Use a spoon
16-24 months
by 24 months: goes up and down stairs alone, kicks ball, turns pages of a book
50% of children use toilet during the day
Name the age range for the following Developmental Milestones:
Jumps with both feet
Has good hand-finger coordination
2-4 years
By 36 months:
rides tricycle, dresses and undresses, completely toilet trained
Age at which there is a stable preference for the right or left hand
Develops by age 4
Effects of early training on motor development
Acceleration of age at which certain skills are exhibited
However effects to not generalize to other skills
Over time, no difference between other children
Effects of early training in complex skills
E.g., playing tennis, musical instrument
Improves proficiency in these skills later in life
Gender Differences in Motor Development:
Middle childhood
Girls more physically mature, better at skills requiring flexibility, agility, balance
Boys superior in skills that require strength and gross motor abilities
Gender Differences in Motor Development:
Early adolescence
Disparity increases substantially
Boys excel on most measures of motor ability
Possibly due to differences in adipose tissue
Consequences of early/late physical maturation:
Boys
Early: increased risk for drug and alcohol use, delinquency, depression
Both early and late maturing boys are more susceptible to depression
Consequences of Early physical maturation:
Girls
Poor self-concept
Less popular
Dissatisfaction with physical development
Low academic achievement
More likely to engage in sexually precocious behavior
Increased risk for drug and alcohol use, depression, eating disorders
Consequences of Late physical maturation:
Girls
Dissatisfaction with physical appearance
Tend to academically outperform peers
Course of negative consequences of early/late maturation by adulthood
Most adverse effects have largely dissipated
Adults are fairly indistinguishable
Physical Changes in Adulthood:
Vision
After age 40: inability to focus on close objects (*think reading glasses)
After age 65: Loss of visual acuity, reduced depth perception and color
