Development of the Child's Brain

Question 1

What are the 3 (related) processes by which child’s development depends on?

Answer 1

Functional immaturity of human infant fosters dependency in child and nurturing by parents and society

• Environmental input
• Sensory devices
• Neurological

All of these act on the effector units

Question 2

Describe the 5 key terms used to describe neurodevelopment

Answer 2

• Innate - Naturally built in
• Incremental - One after the other (Like one step after the other)
• Progressive - Should never lose skill
• Response - Responsive to stimuli
• Interdependent - One area of development affects others

Question 3

What are the 4 key scales used to assess neurodevelopment? Describe them

Answer 3

• Gross motor - Holds head up, turn over, sits, crawls, walks, runs, hops
• Fine motor/vision - Fixes, fixes and follows, grasps, pincer grip, uses pencil
• Hearing/speech/language - Stills to bell, turns to sound, knows name, babbles, words, words together
• Social - Smile, stranger wariness, feeds self, toilet trained, dress self

Question 4

List key developmental milestones in the gross motor scale

Answer 4

1 month- Lifts head when prone (lying down, but can lift head)
2 months- Lifts shoulders when prone (lying down but can lift shoulders)
4 months- Lifts up on hands; rolls front to back; no head lag when pulled to sitting from supine position (lying on back)
5 months- Rolls back to front
6 months- Sits alone 30 seconds or more
7-8 months- Crawls/sits well
9-10 months - Pulls to stand
10-11 months - Cruises (stage between crawling and walking)
12 months - Walks
15 months - Walks backwards
18 months - Runs; kicks a ball
2 years - Walks up and down stairs
3 years - Walks up stairs alternating steps; rides tricycle
4 years - Walks down stairs alternating steps/hops on one foot
5 years - Skips

Question 5

List key developmental milestones in the fine motor/vision scale

Answer 5

Newborn - Focus on objects that are 35cm aways from their eyes
6 weeks - Eyes and head able to track movement
3 months - ‘Hand regard’- looking at own hands
6 months - Can use arms to interact with things - palmer grasp
11 months - Holding, pinching grip, becomes more independent (feeding)
12 months - Interaction, pointing at something

Question 6

List key developmental milestones in the hearing/speech/language category

Answer 6

2 months - Cooing; searches with eyes for sound
4 months - Turns head to sound of voice or bell; laughs
6 months - Babbles
8 months - Mama/Dada - not specific
9 months - Understands the word no
12 months - Mama/Dada specific; follows one step command with gesture; 3-5 word vocal
14 months - Follows one- step command without gesture

16 months - Can point to several body parts

2 years - 50-word vocal; 2 word sentences; uses pronouns indiscriminately

2.5 years - Gives first and last names; uses plural

3 years - 250 words

Question 7

List key development milestones in the social category

Answer 7

6 weeks - Regards face

6 months - Spontaneous social smile

7 months - Displays stranger anxiety; plays peek-a-boo

12 months - Drinks from cup

15 - 18 months - Uses spoon but some spillage

2 years - Washes and dries hands

3 years - Uses spoon well

4 years - Washes and dries face; engages in cooperative play

5 years - Dresses without assistance

Question 8

What are the structural changes in a child’s brain in the foetal + first stages of life?

Answer 8

Structural changes in brain:

• Increasing neurones and cortical mass
• Neuronal division complete by 36 weeks
• Myelination and proliferation of gilial cells (complete by 2 years)
  
  • Vital for conduction speed
• Neuronal connections maximal at 6-12 months
• Pruning of unused connections and rearrangement of connections allowing learning

Question 9

What are the neuromuscular development changes in a child’s brain in the foetal and first stages of life?

Answer 9

Neuromuscular development:

• Brain cortex
• Brain myelination
• Peripheral myelination
• Increasing muscle strength
• Feedback leads to increased control of muscles