Womb to World
The three distinct biological stages of prenatal development
Germinal
Embryonic
Fetal
Any environmental agent, drug, chemical, or virus that can cross the placenta and cause damage during prenatal development
Teratogen
When an infant's cheek is brushed or stroked, they turn their head in that direction and open their mouth- a survival reflex designed for feeding
Rooting
By Age 1, the human brain has expanded from 25% of its adult size at birth to approximately this percentage
75%
Piaget's first developmental stage, spanning from birth to age 2, where infants construct mental representations solely through sensory inputs and motor actions
Sensorimotor
This term refers to the earliest gestational age- typically around 22-24 weeks- at which a fetus has a chance of survival outside the womb with intensive medical intervention
Age of Viability
The specific gestational window (weeks 3-8) during which developing organ systems are at their highest vulnerability to structural defects from teratogens
embryonic
This sensory system is the least developed at birth, with a newborn's clearest focal distance being only 8-12 inches
Vision
The neuro-developmental process that systematically eliminates inactive or redundant neural connections to optimize brain efficiency based on environmental experience
Synaptic pruning
The foundational cognitive milestone-typically emerging around 8-12 months- wherein an infant understands that objects and people continue to exist even when hidden from sight
object permanence
The term for the first fetal movements felt by the pregnant mother, which typically occurs between 17-20 weeks
Quickening
This essential B vitamin, when taken before and during early pregnancy, significantly decreases the incidence of neural tube defects like spina bifida
Folic Acid
Triggered by a sudden loud noise or loss of physical support, this reflex causes the infant to fling their arms outward, arch their back, and rapidly pull their limbs back in
Moro Reflex
This metaphor describes the bidirectional, back-and-forth social exchanges- coos, eye contact, gestures- between infants and responsive caregivers that build neural architecture
Serve and Return
In Erikson's first psychosocial stage, the positive developmental resolution that emerges when a caregiver consistently and warmly meets an infants physical and emotional needs
Trust (vs. Mistrust)
This rapid newborn assessment tool evaluates 5 vital signs- Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration- scored at 1 and 5 minutes post-delivery
APGAR Scale
The single most common preventable cause of intellectual disability in the Western world, resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Stroking the lateral sole of a newborn's foot produces this response, where the big toe dorsiflexes and the remaining toes fan outward
Babinski reflex
The fatty substance produced along axons that insulates nerve fibers and dramatically accelerates electrochemical transmission across the central nervous system
myelin
In Ainsworth's theory, infants exhibiting this attachment style use their caregiver as a secure base, shows distress upon departure, and are quickly comforted upon return
Secure attachement
These 2 foundational directional principles dictate that growth periods from head to tail and from the center of the body outward
cephalocaudal
proximodistal
Beyond dosage and genetic susceptibility, this third critical factor dictates the specific nature and severity of harm caused by teratogens
Timing
The clinical reason pediatric nurses and physicians systematically test neonatal primitive reflexes during routine neurological exams
evaluating central nervous system
The remarkable neurological capacity of the infant brain to reorganize its structure and functional pathways in response to environmental input or recovery from early trauma
Neuroplacisity
Coined by Bandura, this 2-word term describes how an infant might learn to wave "bye" or clap simply by watching and mimicking an adult's actions
A 10 month old infant in an unfamiliar clinic setting continuously glances at their foster parent's face before reaching for a toy. When the parent leaves the room for a brief time, the infant is inconsolable, and upon the parent's return, the infant seeks proximity but aggressively pushes the parent away when picked up.
What is the specific Ainsworth attachment classification demonstrated during the reunion?
Anxious-Ambivalent