Physical Development in Infants/Toddlers 1 Flashcards
cephalocudal trend
during the prenatal period the head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body
proximodistal trend
growth proceeds from the center of the body outward
Why does baby fat peak and when does it decrease?
- to help infant maintain a constant body temperature
- in the second year
What are the sex differences in body size and physical development?
- in infancy girls are slightly shorter and lighter than boys, with a higher ratio of fat to muscle
- girls are considerable ahead of boys in skeletal age and in development of other organs
Why does the skull grow so rapidly from birth to 2 years?
large increases in brain size
fontanels
the six gaps, or soft spots, separating the bones of the skull at birth
neurons
nerve sells that store and transmit information
synapses
tiny gaps where fibers from different neurons come close together but do not touch
neurotransmitters
chemicals released by neurons that send messages to one another by crossing the synapse
What is the function of fontanels?
they permit the bones to overlap as the large head of the baby passes through the mother’s narrow birth canal
How many neurons does the brain have?
100 to 200 billion
Why is stimulation vital to the survival of neurons?
neurons that are stimulated by input from the surrounding environment continue to establish new synapses, forming increasingly elaborate systems of communication that support more complex abilities
synaptic pruning
neurons that are seldom stimulated and not needed at the moment to an uncommitted state so they can support future development
glial cells
make up about half of the brain’s volume and are responsible for myelination
myelination
the coating of neural fibers with an insulating fatty sheath
How many synapses are pruned during childhood and adolescence?
40%
What is the purpose of myelination?
it improves the efficiency of message transfer
How much does the brain grow from birth to age 2?
from 30% of its adult weight to 70%
cerebral cortex
- surrounds the rest of the brain
- largest brain structure
- account for 85% of the brain’s weight
- contains the greatest number of neurons and synapses
When do auditory and visual areas of the brain experience a burst in growth? When does the language area?
- over the first year
- late infancy through the preschool years
When do the frontal lobes reach adult levels of synaptic connections?
mid to late adolescence
lateralization
specialization of the two hemispheres
brain plasticity
- many areas of the cerebral cortex are not yet committed to specific functions and has a hugh capacity for learning
- if part of the cortex is damaged other parts can take over the tasks it would have handled
What does each of the brain’s hemispheres control? Why?
- left hemisphere is better at processing information in a sequential analytic way, a good approach for dealing with communicative information–both verbal and emotional
- right hemisphere is specialized for processing information in a holistic, integrative manner, ideal for making sense of spatial information and regulation negative emotion
What impact does exposing children to expectation beyond their developmental abilities have on their development? How can we better communicate this to parents? Why do people continue to engage in these inappropriate activities if they slow development?
-interferes with the brain’s potential and can cause infants to withdraw, threatening their interest in learning and creating conditions much like stimulus deprivation
experience-expectant brain growth
refers to the young brain’s rapidly developing organization which depends on ordinary experiences–opportunities to see and touch objects to hear language and other sounds, and to move about and explore the environment
experience-dependent brain growth
occurs throughout our lives and consists of additional growth and the refinement of established brain structures as a result of specific learning experiences that vary widely across individuals and cultures
What is cosleeping? What are the risks? How can those risks be overcome?
-parent-infant bed sharing
How much sleep does a two year old need?
12 to 13 hours
Describe the development of napping patterns for 6-9 month-olds, 18-month-olds, and 3-5 year olds.
- 6-9 months–two daytime naps
- 18 months–generally only one nap
- 3-5 years–napping subsides
What is melatonin? When does the brain secrete more of it at night than during the day? What does this mean for infant sleep patterns?
- a hormone within the brain that promotes drowsiness
- middle of the first year
- babies don’t move in the direction of an adultlike sleep-wake schedule until the end of the first year
What is the average sleep period for cosleeping babies from 1-8 months of age?
3 hours
When do night waking increase? Decline?
between 18 months and 2 years
What is catch-up growth?
a return to a genetically determined growth path
How does an infant’s energy needs compare to those of an adult?
at least twice this of an adult
How much of infants’ caloric intake is devoted to growth?
25%
What are the World Health Organizations recommendation for breastfeeding and solid food?
breastfeeding until 2 years of age with solid foods added at six months
What are the advantages of breastfeeding?
- provides the correct balance of fat and protein
- ensures nutritional completeness
- helps ensure healthy physical growth
- protects against many diseases
- protects against faulty jaw development and tooth decay
- ensures digestibility
- soothes the transition to solid foods
How common is breastfeeding in America? When do most nursing mothers stop?
- 74%
- after a few months
How quickly is breast milk digested? How does that compare to formula?
- 1&1/2 to 2 hours
- 3 to 4 hours
What are the U.S. recommendations for breastfeeding?
exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and inclusion of breast milk in the baby’s diet until at least 1 year
How many infants and toddlers eat no fruits or vegetables? How many 12 month olds eat candy daily?
- 33%
- 60%
What 4 strategies can help prevent childhood obesity?
- breastfeed for the first 6 months
- avoid giving them foods loaded with sugar, salt, and saturated fats
- provide plenty of opportunities for energetic play
- limit the time very young children spend in front of the TV
How many of the world’s children suffer from malnutrition before age 5?
27%
marasmus
- wasted condition of the body cause by a diet low in all essential nutrients
- usually appears in the first year of life when a baby’s mother is too malnourished to produce enough breast milk and bottle-feeding is also inadequate
kwashiorkor
- cause by an unbalanced diet very low in protein
- usually strikes after weaning, between 1 and 3 years of age
What are the long-term consequences of malnutrition?
children end up being smaller in all body dimensions and suffer from lasting damage to the brain, heart, liver, or other organs
What is iron-deficiency anemia?
interferes with many central nervous system processes
What is food insecurity? How common is it in the U.S.?
- uncertain access to enough food for a healthy, active life
- 22%
growth faltering
- term applied to infants whose weight height and head circumference are substantially below age-related growth norms and who are withdrawn and apathetic
- in as many as half such cases a disturbed parent-infant relationship contributes to this failure to grow normally
