Learning Aim A - A1 Physical development across the life stages Flashcards
What are the different life stages and what ages do they occur and end?
Birth and infancy - 0-2 years
Early childhood - 3-8 years
Adolescence - 9-18 years
Early adulthood - 19-45 years
Middle adulthood - 46-65
years
Later adulthood - 65 years +
What are the key features of these life stages?
Birth and infancy - grow rapidly, By 1 - they walk. by 2 - they run
Early childhood - develop strength and coordination
Adolescence - growth spurts and develop sexual characteristics during puberty
Early adulthood - Reach the peak of their physical fitness
Middle adulthood - Loss of strength, women go through menopause
Later adulthood - Gradual loss of mobility, loss of height.
What is growth?
An increase in measurable quantity e.g. Height/weight
What is Development?
Complex changes in someone’s skills and capabilities
What are the principles of growth?
It is the increase in quantity. As height increases so does weight.
It is continuous but not smooth, there can be stages of more rapid growth in infancy and during puberty, which means that there can be a difference between the rates of growth for different people.
There are different rates of growth for boys and girls as well as different parts of the body.
(Centile lines - are lines on a graph used to show average measurements of height, weight and head circumference. The lines represent the values of the measurements taking in to account age and sex. )
Centile lines are used to measure the growth of an infant. Which ensures that if there is concerns then the infant is referred to a paediatrician.
What are the principles of development?
Development happens from head to toe, inside to outside, holistically and in the same sequence but at different rates.
Development is seen as a journey, through the progress of the journey children reach milestones which are called developmental norms.
They describe the skills that infants children and adolescence are expected to develop at different ages and stages.
What are the four main areas of skills acquisition?
The four main areas are :
-Physical
-Social development
Emotional , Intellectual development and language skills.
Are there different rates of going through the stages of development?
Children pass through the same stages but each child is unique and will develop at their own rate.
Norms help professionals describe an average set of expectations.
If a child develops faster is doesn’t mean that the child is gifted neither does it mean that there is something wrong if the child develops more slowly
What are gross motor skills
Gross motor skills are movements that involve the larger muscles of the body. These skills allow children to be able to control the body movements that require the use of the larger muscles, such as legs and arms.
Gross motor skills are essential for physical play e.g.. tag and everyday tasks such as walking up stairs, running, jumping and throwing the ball.
What are fine motor skills
Fine motor skills are actions that require the use of smaller muscles in the hands fingers and toes.
They allow infants to pick up things using their finger and thumb, wriggle their toes and hold a small toy. Fine motor skills are also essential for dressing/undressing, drawing and stacking toys.
What are the development milestones in Infancy (0-2 years)
Developing both gross and fine motor skills allows increasing and more complex movement.
By 2 infants develop and use both gross and fine motor skills as they become more independent.
What are the gross motor skills developmental miles stones for infancy.
New-born - Reflexes - Grasp
1 month - Lifts chin, control of head.
3 month - Lift head and chest when on their front
6 Month- Roll over, kick legs when held, sit up (no help)
9-10 month - Crawls, begins to cruise
12-13 month - Stands alone, walk without help
18 month - Climbs on to furniture
2 years - throws large ball
2 1/2 years - Kicks a ball, Jumps from a low step
What are the fine motor skills developmental mile stones for infancy
New-born - Holds their thumbs tucked in to their hands.
1 month - open hand to grasp finger
3 month - Briefly grasp a rattle
6 Month- Moves objects from hand to hand, can pick up dropped objects if they are in sight
9-10 month - use finger and thumb to hold small objects
12-13 month - Manipulates and places toys
18 month - Builds a short tower with blocks
2 years - Draws lines and circles, turn a page
2 1/2 years - Use a spoon and fork, build a tower of 7-8 blocks.
Development of gross motor skills for early childhood (3-8)
By 3- Run, balance on one foot for one second
By 4 - Kick and throw a large ball
By 5 - Hop using each foot separately
By 6/7 - Skip, ride a bike
By 8 - Have good strength and body coordination - can take part in many sports and activities
Development of fine motor skills in early childhood (3-8)
By 3 - Hold a pencil to copy letters, build a tower with cubes
By5 - Dress and undress on their own, tie their shoe lace
By 8 - Able to draw detailed pictures.
What happen during adolescence (9-18)
They will experience a number to physical and growth changes.
This period is called Puberty.
Puberty is a development stage that prepares the body for sexual preproduction. Triggered by hormones.
What are primary sexual characteristics
Relate to the changes and development of reproductive organs
What are the primary sexual characteristics in a female
- Their uterus enlarges and their vagina lengthens
- Their ovaries begin to release eggs
- The menstrual cycle begins
What are the primary sexual characteristics in a male
- Enlargement of the Penis
- Spontaneous erections may happen
- The testicles begin to produce sperm, beginning of ejaculation
What are secondary sexual characteristics
Outward signs of development from child in to man or women
What are the secondary characteristics in a female
- Breasts develop and area around the nipple begins to darken
- Pubic hair and arm pit hair begins to grow
- Redistribution of fat causing the hips to widen
What are the secondary characteristics in a male
- Voice deepens
- Pubic hair, arm pit hair and facial hair begins to grow
- Redistribution of muscles and fat
What is the role of hormones in sexual maturity.
Sex hormones are responsible for the changes that occur in puberty.
The pituitary gland controls the release of sex hormones in both females and males.
The release of sex hormones controls the onset and rate of puberty.
What is the sexual hormone for females
Oestrogen and progesterone.
The ovaries begin to produce Oestrogen and progesterone which are responsible for changes including ovulation and menstruation.
The first period indicates onset of fertility.
What is the sexual hormone for males
Testosterone.
The testes start to produce Testosterone which stimulates sperm production, indicating onset of fertility.
Testosterone is responsible for the development of secondary sexual characteristics e.g. deeper voice.
What is happening during early adulthood (19-45)
- Physical strength peaks between 19 and 28
- Young adults have reached their full height and strength.
- Adults may gradually lose some of their strength and speed.
- Decline in physical capabilities may be shown towards the end of this life stage if individuals do not have a healthy life style.
Pregnancy and Lactation within early adulthood.
Women may experience many physical and emotional changes in preparation for parenthood.
Hormonal changes usually take place with an increase of progesterone which maintains the pregnancy. While oestrogen ay be responsible for the sickness that some women suffer with in pregnancy.
Hormones also affect the shape and appearance of their breasts. Nipples and areolas darken and breasts become more sensitive and tender, preparing for the breasts to produce milk (lactation) to feed the baby.
What is perimenopause
Ovaries begin to make less oestrogen which means that they stop producing an egg each month.
Perimenopause lasts until menopause starts which is when they stop producing eggs.
Perimenopause lasts four years
What are the symptoms of perimenopause
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Loss of libido
- Tiredness
- Trouble sleeping
- Vaginal dryness
- Vaginal discomfort during sex
- Breast tenderness
- Irregular or very heavy periods,
- Urinary urgency
What happens in middle adulthood (46-65)
Menopause
This is when fertility reduces and come to an end.
It can take several years to complete
What does menopause involve
- Gradual ending of menstruation
- Large reduction of fertile eggs in the ovaries
- An increase in the production of hormones called gonadotropins that try to stimulate egg production, which can cause irritability, night sweats and hot flushes.
- Reduction of sex hormones resulting in shrinkage of sexual organs and loss of sexual interest.
- associated problems such as osteoporosis caused by a reduction in the production of sex hormones.
What can hormone changes cause
can lead to mood changes, depression and anxiety.
self image can be affected as women can experience overwhelming sadness that they no longer can have children which makes them feel less desirable.
Self-image and Self-esteem can both become low which may impact on self-confidence and on quality of life.
Effects of he aging process
Often adults put on weight as they eat the same as they did when they were younger they have just become less active.
Along with a change in body shape :
- Increased weight and waistline
- loss of skin elasticity
- Loss of muscle tone and strength
- grey hair, thinning of hair and hair loss.
What happens during later adulthood (65+)
Deterioration of health
There are many changed such as changes in the body systems and organs that can result in a disease that can have an impact on the individuals life style.
Individuals may begin to lose height in middle adulthood which continues on to later life.
Further loss of strength and muscle loss and reduction in stamina
Mobility and dexterity becomes more difficult.
Small changes to the brain which include loss or shrinkage of nerve cells and general slowing of movements and Reponses.
What is the effect of deterioration of intellectual abilities
Examples: Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Ageing can involve a loss of nerve cells in the brain.
However, this does not take away the ability to think logically or to reason.
Older people experience cognitive impairments and report problems with memory loss.
They may take longer to do things and take longer to respond
Reaction times may be slower.
These changes are natural art of ageing and aren’t necessarily a sign of dementia.
