Chapter 3 Flashcards
neonate
a baby with ages up to one month
root
an instinctive search for the breast
primitive reflexes
automatic responses to stimuli
apgar score
a measurement of vital signs in newborn babies
congenital
anything present at birth
lanugo
a soft , downy hair covering the skin in the womb
mila
tiny white spots that soon go away
vernix caseos
a creamy substance that protects the skin in the womb
pre-term
a baby born before 37 weeks gestation
gestation
the time a baby spends developing in the womb, usually 40 weeks
full term
a baby born at around 40 weeks
small-for-dates
a baby born full term but lighter than average
colic
a painful condition in the gut. It tends to occur at the same time each day and can go on for several months
SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)
when a baby suddenly dies for no apparent reason
growth
a gradual increase in size
development
increasing abilities, skills and understanding
percentile charts
charts used by health professionals to monitor a child’s development
developmental milestones
the stages of which all children pass through in a similar sequence
growth curve
the line showing how an individual child’s measurements (height,weight,etc.)are developing
developmental testing
checks made on babies and young children at specific ages to monitor progress and see that they are developing as expected
gender
male or female
gross motor skills
skills involving large gestures and movements e.g. walking, running, hopping, jumping, bending, stretching, balancing.
fine motor skills
skills which involve using hands, fingers and thumbs to pick up, hold and manipulate
sensory development
the use of the body’s five main senses to explore and learn
interdependent
where different things rely upon each other to succeed
involuntary reflex actions
automatic responses, seen in babies in the earliest days and weeks
head lag
Inability to support the weight
balance
moving in a controlled manner
coordination
being able to plan, combine and control a sequence of movements
spatial awareness
appreciation of the size of space around so that it can be used accurately
palmar grasp
a reflex action in which a baby’s hand grabs everything that it touches
pincer grasp
the use of index finger and thumb to hold something
primitive grasp
a clumsy grasp of crayons etc.
hand-eye coordination
using vision to help control actions and to support the manipulation of objects which the child has planned or intended
tripod grasp
adult grip of a pencil to control it
sensory mouthing
using the mouth to explore (touch, taste, smell, feel) objects
object permanence
understanding that something exists even when it can no longer be seen
accident
an unexpected incident that causes damage or injury
risk assesment
a check of the possible dangers in an environment and the resources
accident prevention
taking precautions to avoid accidents e.g. using safety equipment such as stair gates and window catches
convulsion
violent shaking or spasm
good hygiene practice
careful hand washing before handling food and after nappy changing sneezing or going to the toilet
personal care
keeping one’s own body generally clean by good hand washing, bathing, hair and nail-care, etc
cross infection
the passing of germs from one person to another
