Physical Growth & Development
What is the cephalocaudal principle?
This is the term for the principle that physical development progresses from the head down to the rest of the body.
What are the consequences of malnutrition in infancy, and how can it impact an infant's development?
Malnutrition in infancy can lead to delayed physical growth, cognitive impairments, and weakened immune function. Long-term consequences include stunted growth, developmental delays, and an increased risk for chronic diseases in later life. Early intervention and proper nutrition are essential for optimal development.
What is Piaget's sensorimotor theory?
This theory suggests that infants develop cognitive abilities through interactions with their environment, gradually building on their experiences.
What is the theory of social referencing?
This emotional regulation theory explains how infants develop emotional responses through interactions with caregivers and others.
What is gross motor development?
In this phase of motor development, infants begin to sit up, crawl, and eventually walk.
What is the proximodistal principle?
This principle of growth states that development occurs from the center of the body outward.
What is co-sleeping and what are the risks associated with it?
This practice involves sharing a bed with an infant and has been associated with increased risk for SIDS in certain contexts.
What is assimilation?
This term refers to the process by which infants incorporate new information into existing schemas. For example, when a young child learns the word dog for the family pet, he eventually begins to identify every similar-looking canine as a dog.
What are the key characteristics of secure attachment in infants, and how does it affect their emotional development?
Infants with secure attachment feel safe and confident to explore their environment when their caregiver is present. They experience distress when separated but are easily comforted upon reunion. Secure attachment fosters healthy emotional development, promoting trust, emotional regulation, and social competence.
What is fine motor development?
The development of this skill typically begins with reaching and grasping objects, followed by more refined movements.
What is inadequate nutrition for brain and physical development?
This is the primary reason why malnutrition in infancy can lead to cognitive and physical developmental delays.
What are the nutritional needs of infants during the first year of life, and how do they change over time?
In the first year, infants require a diet that includes breast milk or formula for the majority of their nutrition. Around 6 months, solid foods can be introduced, but breast milk or formula remains the primary source of nutrition until 12 months. Nutritional needs include protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals to support growth and brain development.
What is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight?
This is the Piagetian concept that infants develop a sense of object permanence during the sensorimotor stage.
What is the Strange Situation experiment, and how does it assess the quality of attachment between an infant and their caregiver?
The Strange Situation is an observational study developed by Mary Ainsworth, where infants are exposed to a series of separations and reunions with their caregiver. The experiment measures the infant's reactions to these separations, categorizing attachment as secure, avoidant, ambivalent, or disorganized, based on the infant’s behavior.
What is motor coordination?
This concept explains the process by which infants learn to control their body movements more efficiently.
What is a growth spurt?
Infants typically experience this type of physical change, which involves rapid growth during the first year.
What are the typical changes in sleep patterns that infants experience during the first year of life?
In the first year, infants gradually shift from irregular and brief sleep patterns, which are mostly REM sleep, to more consolidated sleep cycles with longer periods of non-REM sleep. By the end of the first year, most infants begin to sleep for longer stretches at night, often around 10-12 hours, with a daytime nap routine.
What is depth perception?
This aspect of cognitive development describes when infants can perceive depth and begin using both eyes to judge distances.
What are the characteristics of ambivalent/resistant attachment, and how might it impact an infant's social development?
Infants with ambivalent/resistant attachment show clinginess and difficulty exploring their environment. They become very distressed when separated but may resist or be difficult to comfort upon reunion. This attachment style can lead to emotional insecurity and challenges in forming healthy relationships later in life.
What is the pincer grasp?
This term refers to the developmental milestone when children first gain the ability to use their hands and fingers for precise movements.
What is prefrontal cortex responsible for?
This is the part of the brain associated with higher cognitive functions, including planning and problem-solving, that undergoes significant development during infancy.
What are the main risk factors for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), and what does research say about co-sleeping?
Major risk factors for SIDS include premature birth, exposure to tobacco smoke, and sleeping on the stomach. Research on co-sleeping suggests that sharing a bed with an infant may increase the risk of SIDS due to suffocation, overheating, or accidental injury. However, in some cultures, co-sleeping is common and is done with safety precautions.
What is accommodation?
This is the term used when infants modify their existing cognitive schemas to incorporate new information. For example of accommodation involves a child who understands that a four-legged creature is called a dog. Then, the child encounters a cat and refers to it as a dog until corrected by a parent.
What role does social referencing play in emotional regulation for infants, and how does it help them understand and respond to their environment?
Social referencing is when infants look to their caregiver or others for emotional cues in uncertain situations. It helps infants regulate their own emotions by using others’ facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice to interpret and respond to events, aiding their social and emotional development.
What is the proximodistal principle of motor development?
This principle states that motor skills develop from the torso outward, with gross motor skills developing before fine motor skills.