Child Development

Question 1

What are the stages of growth & development?

Answer 1

Neonatal

• embryonic -> 8 weeks
• fetal -> 40/42 weeks

Infancy

• neonate -> 1 month
• infancy -> 1 year

Early childhood

• toddler -> 3 years
• preschool -> 4 years

Middle childhood 4-12

Late childhood 13-18

Question 2

What are the 4 modalities of developmental milestones?

Answer 2

1. Gross motor function
2. Fine motor function
3. Hearing + vision
4. Communication + social

Question 3

What primitive reflexes are there at the newborn stage?

Answer 3

• Tonic neck reflex
• Grasp reflex
• Step reflex
• Crawl reflex

Question 4

How does a newborn infant physically grow in the first year?

Answer 4

• Average weight = 3.5 kg
• Length = 50 cm
• OFC = 35 cm
• Weight loss = 5-10% by 3-4 days after birth
• Weight gain by 10th day of life
• Average weight @ 1 year = 10kg

Question 5

What key developments take place between 0-3 months?

Answer 5

GMF - turns head to side, props on forearms, minimal head lag when pulled to sit

FMF - focuses, follows, opens hands momentarily, fanning out of hands

Vision - briefly holds gaze, interested in lights, fixes on mothers face, tracks vertically + horizontally

Social - recognises mother, smiles, follows moving person @ close distance, hand-mouth

Communication - crying

Question 6

What key developments take place between 3-6 months?

Answer 6

GMF - rolls, pushing up on extended arms, sitting

FMF - more alert, clasps + unclasps, holds object momentarily

Vision - follows adults or moving objects across midline, briefly fixes + reaches for small objects

Social - spontaneous smile, communication with sounds, recognises main carers hold bottle briefly, squeals + vocalisations

Communication - cooing + gurgling

Question 7

What key developments take place at 9 months?

Answer 7

GMF - crawls, pulls to stand with support

FMF - eyes move in unison following activities across room, alertness, palmar grasp, transfers objects, finger feeding

Vision - tracks, interested in pictures, peek-a-boo, recognises hidden objects, stranger anxiety

Social - proto-imperative pointing, recognises + responds own name, interested in watching other children, puts arms out to be held

Communication - weaves + clasps, babble, responds to no + name

Question 8

What key developments take place at 1 year?

Answer 8

GMF - cruises for support, walks, crawls up stairs

FMF - pincer grasp, uses both hands freely, can build tower of 2 cubes, uses spoon with some spilling

Vision - picture books, points

Social - proto-declarative pointing

Speech - first words, responds to simple commands, pretend play, possessive of toys

Cognitive - knows function for objects

Question 9

What key developments take place at 2 years?

Answer 9

GMF - run, kicks, stairs (2 feet)

FMF - scribbles, builds tower of 2-3 cubes, pointing, turns several pages, hand preference starting

Vision - recognition faces in photos, inspects objects without touching, reads pictures in books

Social - pretend play, possessive of toys, helps with dressing, drinks from cup, sucks through straw

Communication - 50 words, some 2 word phrases