Child development from conception to adulthood

Question 1

Around what age should a child usually begin to take their first steps?

Answer 1

12 or 13 months

Question 2

What is rooting and at what age of development is this first seen?

Answer 2

-Between 0 and 3 months babies learn to turn when someone speaks to them and smile when they hear a voice
-They may also stop and listen to an unfamiliar voice
-loud noises wake them
-they may be startled or cry if there is an unexpected noise

Question 3

What is the grasping reflex in babies?

Answer 3

If the baby’s palm is stored, they will make a fist around the finger doing the stroking

Question 4

What is the startle (or moro) reflex in babies?

Answer 4

-triggered when a baby is either moved suddenly or if a loud noise occurs suddenly
-the reflex is to arch the back and extend the arms, fingers and legs, and the head falls back

Question 5

What is the walking reflex in babies?

Answer 5

-if you hold the baby so their feet touch the floor this will induce a walking reflex and the baby will automatically make step-like motions with alternate feet

Question 6

What are the 5 different types of development from newborn to adult?

Answer 6

-physical
-intellectual
-language
-emotional
-social

Question 7

What are the main physical developments between a newborn and toddler?

Answer 7

Skin:
-newborns baby’s skin is thin and delicate and so is easily broken. Small babies and toddlers need to be kept warm as heat is easily lost through the skin

Head:
-a baby’s head is proportionally large in contrast to their body up to the age of 2
-eye pigment develops over the first year of life
-teeth start to appear between 6 months and 2 years

Neck:
-up to 2 years the neck is short and throat is high in the neck at the back of the mouth, allowing a baby to eat whilst breathing and minimise choking

Skeleton:
-spine is C shaped at birth and baby needs to develop muscles needed to lift and control their head (around 6 weeks)
-then to sit up the spine develops secondary curves (around 3-4 months)

Kidneys:
-the ability to concentrate urine increases throughout the first year
-newborn babies may need to pass a lot of dilute urine very frequently (12 nappy changes a day)