Physical and Neurological Growth in Infancy

Question 1

What percentage of height do babies gain from birth to age 1? (Body Growth)

Answer 1

50%

Question 2

What percentage of height do babies gain from age 1 to 2? (Body Growth)

Answer 2

75%

Question 3

Babies gain “baby fat” until about… (Body Growth)

Answer 3

9 months, and then get slimmer

Question 4

Babies grow in… (Body Growth)

Answer 4

Spurts

Question 5

What is the difference in girl and boy babies body growth?

Answer 5

Girls are slightly shorter and lighter than boys

Question 6

Changes in Body Proportions

Answer 6

Cephalocaudal and Proximodistal

Question 7

Cephalocaudal (Changes in Body Proportions)

Answer 7

• “Head to Tail”

- Lower part of body grows later than the head

Question 8

Proximodistal (Changes in Body Proportions)

Answer 8

• “Near to far”

- Extremities grow later than head, chest, and trunk

Question 9

During early fetal development, neurons are produced by the… (Neural Growth and Development)

Answer 9

Neural Tube

• Migration and differentiation
• Programmed cell death
• Need for stimulation (Synaptic pruning)

Question 10

50% of brain weight and size is due to… (Neural Growth and Development)

Answer 10

Glial Cells (Create myelin that coat the axons of neurons)

Question 11

Left Hemisphere (Lateralization of Cerebral Cortex)

Answer 11

• Sensory information and control of right side of body
• Verbal abilities
• Positive emotion
• Sequential, analytical processing

Question 12

Right Hemisphere (Lateralization of Cerebral Cortex)

Answer 12

• Sensory information and control of left side of body
• Spatial abilities
• Negative emotion
• Holistic, integrative processing

Question 13

Brain Plasticity

Answer 13

• In infants and young children, parts of brain are not yet specialized
• Recover better from brain injury (Language recovers better than spatial skills; Still have some problems with complex mental skills)
• Older children, even adults, have some plasticity

Question 14

When the brain is growing rapidly, what is vital?

Answer 14

Stimulation

Question 15

Experience-Expectant Growth (Sensitive Periods in Brain Development)

Answer 15

Ordinary experiences “expected” by brain to grow normally

Question 16

Experience-Dependent Growth (Sensitive Periods in Brain Development)

Answer 16

Additional growth as a result of specific learning experiences

Question 17

British/ <6mo vs. Romanian/ <6mo (Sensitive Periods in Brain Development)

Answer 17

Early-adopted Romanian children fared as well was early-adopted British children

Question 18

Romanian/6-24mo vs. Romanian/ 24-42 mo (Sensitive Periods in Brain Development)

Answer 18

Romanian children adopted after 6 months of age showed increasing cognitive impairment the longer they were institutionalized

Question 19

Changing States of Arousal

Answer 19

• Sleep moves to an adult-like night-day schedule during the first year.
• Sleep needs decline from 18 to 12 hours a day by age 2.
• More Americans are beginning to look into co-sleeping behavior

Question 20

Cultural differences in rates of infant co-sleeping

Answer 20

• More common in collectivistic than individualistic cultures
• Morelli: 1992 (Cultural variations in co-sleeping among U.S. and Highland Mayan mothers)

Question 21

Influences on Early Growth

Answer 21

• Heredity
• Nutrition
• Malnutrition
• Emotional Well-Being

Question 22

Types of Malnutrition

Answer 22

• Marasmus
• Kwashiorkor
• Iron-Deficiency
• Anemia
• Food Insecurity

Question 23

Marasmus (Types of Malnutrition)

Answer 23

Consequence: Physical symptoms

Question 24

Kwashiorkor (Types of Malnutrition)

Answer 24

Consequence: Growth and weight problems

Question 25

Iron-Deficiency (Types of Malnutrition)

Answer 25

Consequence: Poor motor development

Question 26

Anemia (Types of Malnutrition)

Answer 26

Consequence: Learning, attention problems

Question 27

Food Insecurity (Types of Malnutrition)

Answer 27

Consequence: Passivity, irritability, anxiety

Question 28

Emotional Well-Being

Answer 28

Nonorganic Failure to Thrive
(This 6-month-old infant was admitted with marasmus. The infant was born to a mother who did not bond effectively because of postpartum depression. He has evidence of severe wasting and neglectful care as also evidenced by the diaper excoriation. Weight gain was achieved by placement in foster home)