Lesson 3: Infancy and Toddlerhood Flashcards
What is the average birth weight and length of a newborn in the U.S.?
The average newborn weighs about 7.5 pounds and is approximately 20 inches long.
By what age does an infant’s weight typically quadruple?
By age two.
What is the term for the rapid formation of neural connections in early infancy?
Synaptic Blooming.
What happens during synaptic pruning?
Neural connections are reduced, strengthening those that are used more frequently.
What is the function of myelin in the nervous system?
Myelin insulates nerve cells and speeds up the transmission of impulses.
What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?
It is the sudden, unexplained death of a healthy infant, typically during sleep.
How many hours a day does a newborn typically sleep?
Approximately 16.5 hours.
What percentage of a newborn’s sleep is spent in the REM phase?
About 50%.
What safe sleep recommendation reduces the risk of SIDS?
Placing infants on their backs to sleep.
Why is co-sleeping controversial in Western cultures?
It has been linked to higher risks of SIDS and accidental suffocation.
What are newborn reflexes?
Involuntary movements in response to stimuli, such as the sucking and rooting reflexes.
What is the Moro reflex?
It is a startle response where an infant spreads their arms and legs outward and then pulls them back in.
When do infants typically develop the pincer grasp?
Around 9 months of age.
What is the cephalocaudal principle in motor development?
Development proceeds from head to toe.
What are gross motor skills?
Skills involving large muscle groups, such as crawling and walking.
How well can newborns see at birth?
Newborns have limited vision, with an acuity of about 20/400.
At what age do infants develop depth perception?
By 6 months.
Why do infants prefer high-contrast patterns?
Because their immature visual system finds high contrast easier to see.
How soon after birth can infants distinguish their mother’s voice?
Almost immediately.
What is intermodal perception?
The ability to integrate information from multiple senses, such as sight and touch.
What are the benefits of breastfeeding for infants?
Lower risks of infections, obesity, and type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
What is colostrum?
The first breast milk produced, rich in nutrients and antibodies.
What are the maternal benefits of breastfeeding?
Reduced risks of breast and ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes.
At what age should solid foods be introduced to an infant’s diet?
Between 4 to 6 months, when the infant shows readiness.
What is marasmus?
A severe form of malnutrition caused by a lack of calories and protein.
What are schemas in Piaget’s theory?
Frameworks for organizing information.
What is assimilation?
Integrating new information into existing schemas.
What is accommodation?
Modifying schemas to incorporate new information.
At what age do children typically master object permanence?
Around 8 months.
What is object permanence?
The understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight.
How does Rovee-Collier’s research demonstrate infant memory?
Infants remembered how to move a mobile by kicking their legs after a delay.
What is infantile amnesia?
The inability to recall memories from the first few years of life.
What is deferred imitation?
The ability to replicate an observed action after a time delay.
What is a phoneme?
The smallest unit of sound in language.
How does context influence infant memory?
Infants remember better when conditions are similar to the original learning environment.
What role does brain maturation play in memory development?
Memory improves as the hippocampus and other brain regions mature.
What is babbling?
Repeated consonant-vowel sounds, such as “ba-ba,” starting around 7 months.
What is infant-directed speech?
A high-pitched, exaggerated way adults speak to infants to aid language learning.
What is overextension in language?
Using one word to describe all similar objects, like calling all animals “doggie.”
What is holophrasic speech?
Using single words to represent entire thoughts, common around 12 months.
What is temperament?
Innate traits that influence mood, activity level, and emotional reactivity.
What are the three temperament types identified by Chess and Thomas?
Easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up.
What is the Strange Situation Technique?
A method developed by Mary Ainsworth to assess attachment styles in infants.
What is secure attachment?
When an infant feels safe exploring but seeks comfort from the caregiver when distressed.
What is stranger anxiety?
Fear of unfamiliar people, emerging around 8-9 months.
How does Erikson’s theory relate to attachment?
It highlights trust vs. mistrust as the first psychosocial challenge in infancy.
What is Bowlby’s theory of attachment?
Attachment is an evolutionary mechanism ensuring infant survival.
What is the role of caregiver sensitivity in attachment?
Responsive caregiving fosters secure attachment.
What is separation anxiety?
Distress when a caregiver leaves, typically appearing around 6-8 months.
How do cultural differences influence attachment behaviors?
Cultures vary in parenting styles, affecting how infants express attachment.
At what age do infants typically sit unassisted?
Around 7 months.
When do children begin walking independently?
Between 12 and 15 months.
How do infants demonstrate self-awareness?
By recognizing themselves in a mirror, typically around 18-24 months.
What is social referencing?
Looking to caregivers for cues on how to react in uncertain situations.
What is symbolic play?
Using objects to represent other things, emerging around 2 years old.
How does socioemotional development vary with parenting styles?
Authoritative parenting promotes confidence and self-reliance.
Why is early intervention important for developmental delays?
It can improve outcomes in cognitive, social, and physical domains.
How does responsive parenting influence development?
It fosters secure attachment and emotional regulation.
What is the impact of inconsistent caregiving?
It can lead to anxious or avoidant attachment.
How do siblings influence infant development?
They provide opportunities for social learning and emotional bonding.
