SLO's ch. 4 Flashcards
Describe how the human body develops
in the first two years of life, including the four
principles that govern its growth.
Human babies grow rapidly in height and weight, especially
during the first two years of life. Major principles that
govern human growth include the cephalocaudal principle,
the proximodistal principle, the principle of hierarchical integration,
and the principle of the independence of systems.
Describe how the nervous system and brain
develop in the first two years of life and how
the environment affects such development.
The nervous system contains a huge number of neurons,
more than will be needed as an adult. “Extra” connections
and neurons that are not used are eliminated as an
infant develops. Brain development, largely predetermined
genetically, also contains a strong element of plasticity—a
susceptibility to environmental influences. Many aspects
of development occur during sensitive periods when the
organism is particularly susceptible to environmental
influences.
Explain the body rhythms and states that govern
an infant’s behavior the first two years of life.
One of the primary tasks of the infant is the development of
rhythms—cyclical patterns that integrate individual behaviors.
An important rhythm pertains to the infant’s state—
the degree of awareness of stimulation it displays.
Describe sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
and guidelines to prevent it.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a disorder in
which seemingly healthy infants die in their sleep. The
American Academy of Pediatrics now suggests that babies
sleep on their backs rather than on their sides or stomachs
to help prevent SIDS.
Explain how the reflexes that infants are born
with help them adapt to their surroundings and
protect them.
Reflexes are unlearned, automatic responses to stimuli that
help newborns survive and protect themselves. Some reflexes
also have value as the foundation for future, more
conscious behaviors.
Summarize the landmarks of motor skill
development in infancy
The development of gross and fine motor skills proceeds
along a generally consistent timetable in normal children,
with substantial individual and cultural variations
Summarize the role of nutrition in the physical
development of infants.
Adequate nutrition is essential for physical development.
Malnutrition and undernutrition affect physical aspects of
growth and may also affect IQ and school performance.
Summarize the benefits of breastfeeding
in infancy.
Breastfeeding has distinct advantages over bottle-feeding,
including the nutritional completeness of breast milk, its
provision of a degree of immunity to certain childhood diseases,
and its easy digestibility. In addition, breastfeeding
offers significant physical and emotional benefits to both
child and mother.
Describe the capabilities of infants in the realm
of visual perception.
Sensation, the stimulation of the sense organs, differs
from perception, the interpretation and integration of
sensed stimuli. Very early, infants can see depth and motion,
distinguish
colors and patterns, and show clear visual
preferences
Describe the capabilities of infants in the realm
of auditory sensation and perception
Infants hear from the time of birth—and even before.
At a very young age, infants are able to localize and
discriminate
sounds, and recognize the sound of their
mothers.
Describe the smell and taste capacities
of infants
The scent of smell is very well developed in infants, many
of whom can distinguish their mothers on the basis of smell
alone. Infants have innate taste preferences, preferring
sweet tastes and showing disgust when they taste something
bitter.
Describe the nature of pain and touch
in infants.
While at one point it was assumed that young infants do not
experience pain, it is widely acknowledged today that they
are born with the capacity to experience pain. One of the
most highly developed sensory systems in infants, which is
only now being understood, touch plays an important role
in the child’s future development.
Summarize the multimodal approach
to perception.
The multimodal approach to perception considers how information
that is collected by various individual sensory
systems is integrated and coordinated
