Growth & Development Flashcards
What is the healthy child programme?
Universal preventive evidence-based programme that begins in pregnancy and continues through childhood of growth and developmental reviews, screening, immunisations, health promotion and parenting support i.e. red book of parent held child health record (PHCHR)
What do the babies skull fontanelles close?
Posterior: 2-3mths
Anterior: 18mths
When is a baby classed as premature?
Born at ~37 weeks of gestation
What is bonding?
Caregiver’s emotional relationship with baby - encourages attachment but is NOT the same as attachment
What are interactions?
Bi-directly to and fro of exchanges between baby and I
What is the root reflex?
Baby turns mouth towards stimulus until 4 months of age
What region of the brain matures almost completely post-natally?
Orbitofrontal region
What developmental milestone occurs by 4 months?
Posture and large movements: head control where neonates show minimal control of neck flexors and when pulled to sitting position head lags behind the arms/shoulder disappears and infant can support his/her head
What are the most important years of a babies life?
The first 2 years as the brain is most adaptable
What are experience-dependent mechanisms?
Unique experiences of each baby produce distinctive wiring of brain enabling child to adapt to specific features of environment that they inhabit - DEPENDENT on primary caregiver (dyad relationship) acting as an external psychological regulator
What are primitive reflexes?
Reflexes that appear and disappear (integrate) in a predictable sequence as infant matures indicating typical motor development reflecting many developing and neural factors such as underlying myelination of higher cortical pathways allowing for voluntary movement control
What usually happens to a babies weight after birth?
Lose weight and usually regain it by 2 weeks of age
What are the main domains that securely attached infants have optimal functioning in?
Emotional Social Behavioural adjustment School achievement Peer-related social status
What milestones should be met by 9 months?
- Posture and large movements: sit alone for 10-15 mins on floor, progresses on floor by rolling/squirming and attempts to crawl
- Fine motor: inferior pincer grip
- Jargon: babble and intonational sounds
- Social behaviour/play: clearly distinguishes strangers from familiars
What is the cephalocaudal and centrifugal principles?
General pattern of physical and functional development whereby:
- Cephalocaudal: developments follow head-to-toe progression
- Centrifugal: development follows proximal to distal direction
What is emotional regulation?
Process by which levels of +ve and -ve emotions are kept within bounds so they are registered as not overwhelming and parents must aid this - self-regulation provides foundation of ones ability to function in society w/o they will lose it easily
When observing the parent-infant interaction what 3 dimensions must you bare in mind?
- Engagement: over-intrusiveness OR unengagement (e.g. in post-natal depression)
- Predictability: consistency in meeting babies needs will make baby cry when in need but if not, they will not cry as much
- Genuineness: true/genuine OR false/deceptive affect where baby and mum are either in sync or not
What is crossing a centile line? When is this a worry?
When a baby crosses through a centile line on the centile chart - if a baby falls through/across 2, this is classed as failure to thrive and they must be referred
What is the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex?
When head is turned to one side, the ipsilateral arm/leg will extend whilst contralateral extremities are in flexion but baby should be able to overcome it and move out of this posture usually lasting 3/4 months
What fine motor developmental milestones should be met at 2 years of age?
Scribbles on his/her own Imitates vertical/circular strokes Turns over container to pour out contents Builds tower of 6 blocks or more Begins to sort by shapes and colours Begins make-believe play
What are developmental milestones?
Median ages at which children develop specific behaviours and abilities
What is the grasp reflex?
Palmer grasp reflex where baby grasps stimulus until 4-6 months for hands but 6-12 months for toes - gradually replaced by voluntary activity of reaching/grasping with hand
What is growth?
Dynamic process in which increasing cell size and number and various tissues result in a physical increase in size of body as a whole
What social and emotional developmental milestones should be met at 2 years of age?
Imitates behaviour of others esp. adults and older children
More aware of him/herself as separate from others
Demonstrates increasing independence
Begins to show defiant behaviour