Child development Flashcards
What is cerebral palsy?
A disorder of movement and posture arising from a non-progressive lesion of the brain acquired before the age of 2 years. Most often, the problems occur during pregnancy.
What are the clinical features of cerebral palsy? (x10)
□ Delays in reaching developmental milestones e.g. not sitting by 8 months. □ Seeming too stiff or too floppy. □ Weak arms or legs. □ Fidgety, jerky or clumsy movements. □ Random, uncontrolled movements. □ Walking on tiptoes. □ Swallowing difficulties. □ Learning difficulties. □ Speaking problems. □ Hearing loss.
What are the risk factors of cerebral palsy? (x4)
Preterm birth, being a twin, certain infections during pregnancy such as rubella, head trauma early in life.
What are common signs of developmental delay? !!!
□ HEARING impairment. □ VISUAL impairment, squint. □ ORTHOPAEDIC problems such as fixed joint contractures, painful muscle spasms, hip subluxation, spinal deformity. □ GASTROINTESTINAL such as reflux, aspiration of food and constipation. □ UROGENITAL such as urinary tract infection, incontinence. □ RESPIRATORY infections, aspiration pneumonia, chronic lung disease, sleep apnoea. □ NEUROLOGICAL problems such as epilepsy and cerebral palsy. □ NUTRITION – poor weight gain and failure to thrive. □ BEHAVIOURAL issues.
What are the characteristics of Autism spectrum disorder? (x3 +2)
Features include (1) impaired social interaction; (2) speech and language disorder; and (3) imposition of routines with ritualistic and repetitive behaviour. Comorbidities include learning and attention difficulties, and epilepsy.
What are the characteristics of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? (x5 +3)
Diagnostic criteria are (1) Inattention; (2) Hyperactivity; (3) Impulsivity; (4) Lasting > 6 months; (5) commencing < 7 years and inconsistent with the child’s developmental level. These children also have increased risk of conduct disorder, anxiety disorder and aggression.
What are the risk factors of ADHD? (x6)
Neurological disorder e.g. epilepsy, first-degree relative with ADHD, family member with depression, learning disability, antisocial personality, substance abuse.
What are the trends in incidence of autism?
Incidence in INCREASING: suggesting that there are more comprehensive screening tools, or that the diagnosis has been applied more broadly than before.
What are the trends in incidence of ADHD?
Rates of incidence are INCREASING: primary due to changes in how the condition is diagnosed and how people are more readily to accept the condition.
Define child development.
Development is the global impression of a child which encompasses growth, increase in understanding, acquisition of new skills and more sophisticated responses and behaviour. It serves to endow the child with increasingly complex skills in order to function in society.
What are developmental domains? What four domains are there?
□ They are interdependent – development in one domain influences and is influenced by the development in the other domains. □ SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DOMAIN: child’s skills to understand spoken word and express themselves verbally. □ SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTAL DOMAIN: child’s ability to make and maintain relationships. It also refers to adaptive skills used for daily living, such as dressing, eating, toileting and washing. □ GROSS MOTOR DOMAIN: refers to development of motor skills such walking, sitting and balance. It depends on child’s growth. □ FINE MOTOR DOMAIN: refers to use of hands, ability to play with bricks, crayons and puzzles.
What are the types of developmental delay? (x2 and x4)
• GLOBAL: when child is delayed in multiple domains. Diagnosed when a child is delayed in one or more milestones across the four domains. • SPECIFIC: when child is delayed in single developmental domains: LANGUAGE, MOTOR, SENSORY and COGNITIVE.
How should evaluation of a child with abnormal development be undertaken?
History taken that explores PARENTAL ANXIETY (parent knows more than professional), BIRTH HISTORY and FAMILY HISTORY. Past medical history must also cover DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY and CURRENT SKILLS of the child to assess the delay. Following this, a DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT and general and neurological examination should be performed, and appropriate investigations completed.
What are commonly used assessment tools for childhood development? (x5)
• Standardised tests. • Schedule of growing tools. • Griffiths developmental scale – assesses locomotor, personal social, hearing and speech, hand and eye, performance and practical reasoning. • Bailey development scale – assesses cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional and adaptive skills. • Denver developmental screening tests – covers gross motor, language, fine motor and social skills.
What are the objectives of management of children with delayed development? (x4) !!!
Maximise mobility, minimise discomfort, promote speech and language, and promote social and emotional health.
