Prenatal Development
What are the three main stages of prenatal development?
Germinal (Weeks 1–2), Embryonic (Weeks 2–8), and Fetal (Week 9 to birth).
What childhood disease can cause birth defects if contracted prenatally?
Rubella
What is a reflex?
An unlearned, automatic response to a stimulus.
What does the term cephalocaudal mean?
Development from head to toe
What is temperament?
An inborn emotional and behavioral style that influences how children react.
During which trimester does the brain begin to develop and prepare for birth?
The third trimester.
What are two infectious diseases that can pass from mother to fetus?
HIV/AIDS and syphilis.
Name two infant reflexes.
Rooting reflex and Moro reflex (or sucking, palmar grasp, eye-blink, Babinski).
When do babies usually lift their heads?
At about 2–3 months
Name the three types of infant temperament.
Easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up.
What is a teratogen?
Any agent (like drugs, X-rays, infections) that causes birth defects.
Name one effect of smoking during pregnancy.
Premature birth, miscarriage, low weight, or infant mortality
Which sense is least developed at birth?
Vision
Name Piaget’s first stage of cognitive development.
Sensorimotor stage (0–2 years).
What is a secure attachment?
When a child feels safe to explore but is comforted when the caregiver returns.
What can maternal malnutrition during pregnancy cause?
Premature birth, low birth weight, and later developmental problems.
What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)?
A condition from drinking during pregnancy causing facial deformities and brain damage.
By what age does an infant’s vision improve significantly?
Around six months.
What is object permanence?
Understanding that objects exist even when not seen — developed in the sensorimotor stage
Name two parenting styles and their effects.
Authoritative = confident and responsible; Authoritarian = fearful and withdrawn.
At about which week does the fetus become viable (able to survive outside the womb)?
Between 24 and 25 weeks.
What is one possible effect of maternal smoking on a child’s brain?
Abnormal brain development and thinner cerebral cortex.
What experiment shows that infants can perceive depth?
The Visual Cliff experiment.
What term did Vygotsky use to emphasize learning through social interaction?
Sociocultural theory of cognitive development
According to Erikson, what is the first psychosocial crisis in infancy?
Trust vs. Mistrust (0–1 year)