The Physical Domain

Question 1

What is the obvious sign of physical growth and how does it change?

Answer 1

• Changes in body size
• Rapid growth that slows down after a few years, with sharp acceleration during puberty
• General trends offer important insights
  Heath care services
  Important for the other domains

Question 2

What are the types of growth curve?

Answer 2

Distance curve
- Average height in children over time
Velocity curve
- The average amount of growth each year
Reveals differences in growth spurts
Gender differences

Question 3

How does the body proportions change during prenatal period?

Answer 3

Cephalocaudal trend “Head to Tail”
- The head and chest growths first
- Then arms and legs

Question 4

How does the body proportions change during infancy and childhood?

Answer 4

Proximodistal trend “ Center and out”
- Arms and legs
- Hands and feet

Question 5

How does the body proportions change during adolescence?

Answer 5

• Hands, legs and feet first
• Torso afterwards
  Can make the teens look “awkward”

Question 6

Are there any sex differences?

Answer 6

• Only in adolescence, hormones effect on skeleton
• Boys shoulder expand relative to hips
• Girls hips expanse relative to shoulders
  One example

Question 7

What are some general changes in Muscle-Fat?

Answer 7

Fat
- Peaks at 9 months, helps with constant body temperature
- Around 8 years to puberty, girls put on more fat on arm, legs and trunk
- Adolescence; Girls add, boys loose

Muscle
- Adds slowly from birth to childhood
- Adolescence; both gain more muscles, boys does more

Question 8

What is skeletal age?

Answer 8

Development of bones in body, considered a reliable estimate of physical maturity of the child

Question 9

Is there gender differences in skeletal age?

Answer 9

• Yes, girls considerably ahead of boys
• Resistance to environmental influences, fewer developmental problems, lower infant/child mortality rates

Question 10

What is the bones made out of?

Answer 10

• Epiphyses
  Growth centers
• Growth plates
  Create cartilage cells, there is a fixed amount of length
• Bone shaft

Question 11

How does gross-motor develop?

Answer 11

• Gradual build up, its dynamic
• Size changes + Muscle strenght = new gross motor skills
• Improved balance support more advanced skill, more balance with age
• There are gender differences

Question 12

What does milestones offer?

Answer 12

• Insight and understanding of general trends
• Find children at risk early
• Adapt activities and toys to the childs gross-motor development
• Crucial for other domains as well

Important to remember there are variation!