Chapter 4: Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Question 1

Four qualities that affect growth norms

Answer 1

• Infant growth and sleep
• Influence of health and environmental factors
• Increases in children’s growth
• Importance of good nutrition

Question 2

Why is good nutrition needed for development?

Answer 2

Bodily energy needed to increase activity, muscle growth, increase synapses in brain

Question 3

How is infant growth tracked?

Answer 3

Chart child’s stats with averages to determine where growth/development is

Question 4

Two growth patterns

Answer 4

Cephalocaudal development, proximodistal development

Question 5

Cephalocaudal development

Answer 5

Procession of growth from head downward, brain reaches final size earlier than legs or feet

Question 6

Proximodistal development

Answer 6

Procession of growth from the center of the body outward, organs complete development sooner than limbs

Question 7

Breastfeeding

Answer 7

Primary food source during the 1st 6 months

Question 8

Benefits of breatfeeding

Answer 8

Breast milk has more fat, helps the baby gain weight, and has nutrients and other things than increase immunity (help combat allergens and pollutants)

Question 9

T/F: There is a negative affect of using formula over breastmilk

Answer 9

False, there are no large impacts but there are cognitive and behavioral benefits from breast milk

Question 10

Solid food in infancy

Answer 10

• Should include thin gruel, porridge, and purees
• Non-nutritious food can lead to infant obesity

Question 11

Effects of malnutrition

Answer 11

Growth stunting and effects on the brain including impaired brain cells, limited dendrite branching, and abnormal/shorter dendrites.

Question 12

Marasmus

Answer 12

A more severe malnutrition in infants. It is more common in developing countries and results in affected organs, cognitive development, and limbs.

Question 13

Kwashiorkor

Answer 13

A more severe malnutrition in toddlers.

Question 14

___% of families in the US are living in food insecurity/desert

Answer 14

13-14

Question 15

What is indicative of growth faltering?

Answer 15

Weight below the 5th percentile for their age, delays in cognitive, verbal, and behavioral skills

Question 16

How to treat growth faltering

Answer 16

Nutrition and psychosocial intervention

Question 17

Sudden infant death syndrome

Answer 17

Sudden unexpected death of an infant during sleep. Caused by vulnerability (biological) and a stressor. Occurs most often at 2-5 months.

Question 18

Ways to reduce risk of SIDS

Answer 18

• Sleeping on infant’s back
• Temperature of 18-20*C
• Firm mattress
• One stuffed animal
• No smoking
• Crib in the parent’s room, parents don’t share bed
• Sleeping bag without extra blankets

Question 19

An axon is surrounded by a ___ ___ interrupted by ____ ___ ____

Answer 19

myelin sheath, nodes of ranvier

Question 20

Neurogenesis

Answer 20

Most neurons are created during embryonic development (100 billion, the most you’ll ever have). Some unnecessary neurons die early on

Question 21

Glial cells

Answer 21

Support cells for neurons, some of which produce myelin

Question 22

Synaptogenesis

Answer 22

Creation of synapses, especially in the first year or two of life

Question 23

Synaptic pruning

Answer 23

Death of synapses not being used. Increases efficiency as the brain can only handle a certain amount of info.

Question 24

Two types of experience-derived brain development

Answer 24

Experience-expectant, experience-dependent

Question 25

Experience-expectant brain development

Answer 25

Dependent on basic environmental experiences at key point (ex. baby that grows up in the dark has underdeveloped vision)

Question 26

Experience-dependent brain development

Answer 26

Response to specific learning experience (ex. swimming). These experiences change your skills, but aren’t harmful if you don’t experience them.

Question 27

Habituation

Answer 27

Repeated exposure to a stimulus results in a decline of a response. Dishabituation occurs when the stimulus is changed.

Question 28

Classical conditioning

Answer 28

Learning through association, where an unconditional stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus, leading to a conditioned response.

Question 29

Operant conditioning

Answer 29

Engaging on behavior based on consequences

Question 30

Imitation

Answer 30

Mimicking facial expressions, corresponding mouth movements to vocal models

Question 31

What is the least developed sense at birth?

Answer 31

Vision (visual acuity aka sharpness), infants don’t have color vision

Question 32

The visual cliff

Answer 32

A real or fake cliff the infant may see

Question 33

Gross motor development

Answer 33

Large motor movements, crawling allows an infant to explore their space better