Life Span
Life Span focuses on...
Physical Development
Cognitive Development
Personality Development
Social Development
Germinal Stage
Fertilization: 2 wks
Cell Division
Baby called Zygote.
Cells form a protective layer.
Placenta provides nourishments and oxygen.
Labor and Stages
Labor: birth begins
Stages-
1: Dilation and Effacement of the Cervix
2: Delivery of baby
3: Birth of Placenta
Infant Growth
Rapid growth in first 2 yrs.
Birthweight: by 5 months, birthweight has doubled. By 1yr, birthweight has x3.
Length: by the end of 1 yr. the avg. baby is 30 inches tall.
Girls shorter than boys
Asian infants smaller than yts.
A.A. infants bigger than yts.
Primary/ Secondary Circular Reaction
Primary (1-4 months)
-Simple motor habits centered around infants' body.
-Limited anticipation of events
Secondary (4-8 months))
-Aimed at repeating interesting events in the surrounding world.
Limitation of familiar behaviors
Continuous Change v. Discontinuous Change
C: gradual and quantitative
D: development stages
Embryonic Stage
2-8 wks
Baby called Embryo.
Baby composed of 3 layers:
Ectoderm
Endoderm
Mesoderm
Brain undergoes rapid growth.
Apgar Scale
Named after Dr. Virginia Apgar
Evaluates newborn on 5 things on scale of 0-2. Scaroes 0-10 (4-7: bad 7-10:good).
A- activity and muscle tone
P- pulse
G- grimace
A- appearance
R- respiration
Brain
Sensitive to injury
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
Environmental influences on Brain Development
-Plasticity
-Sensitive Period
-Brain Development
Talk
Cooing (2 months): make repetitive vowel sounds.
Babbling (6 months): produce speech like ba, ra.
Becoming a communicator:
Give-and-take (3 months)
Preverbal Gestures (1 yr.)
Critical Periods v. Sensitive Periods
C: a particular event will have its greatest consequences.
S: organisms are susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli; absence of stimuli doesn't result in irreversible consequences.
Fetal Stage
8 wks - Birth
Baby called Fetus.
Dramatic increase in weight and size
Organs become differentiated and operational.
Brain becomes increasingly sophisticated.
By 3 months, fetus swallows and urinates; by 4 months, mother feels movement.
In 8-24wks, hormones begin the differentiation that results in male/female fetus.
Delivery Position
Upright- shortens labor and reduces complications.
Water Birth- relaxes mothers, shortens labor and reduces complications.
Gross Motor Skills
By 6 months, infants can move by themselves.
Crawling b/w 8 and 10 months
Support themselves on furniture and walking by 9 months.
Walk alone by 1 yr.
Most sit unsupported by 6 months.
Attatchment
the strong affectionate tie we have with special ppl. in our lives that leads us to experience pleasure and joy when we interact with them and to be comforted by their nearness in times.
Nature v. Nurture
Nature: traits, abilities, and capacities that are inherited from one's parents (eyes color, blood groups).
Nurture: environmental influences that shape behavior (diseases, accent, weight).
Infertility
Inability to conceive after 12-18 months. About 15% of couples will have problems.
Causes:
Age of Parents
Previous use of birth control, illicit drugs, or cigarettes.
Men who have low sperm count.
Women's mother taking certain drugs pregnancy.
Most common cause: failure to ovulate.
Anesthesia and Pain- Reduces Drugs
Reduces Pain
Epidural Anesthesia
Walking Epidural / Dual Spinal Epidural
May depress oxygen flow to fetus, slower labor, and causes fetus harm.
Fine Motor Skills
By 3 months, infants coordinate movements of limbs.
Grasp objects by 11 months.
By age 2, drink from cup w/o spilling.
Motor skill development follows a sequential pattern.
Thomas and Chess's Model
Easy children: 40%
Difficult Children: 10%
Slow-to-warm-up Children: 15%
Unclassified Children: 35%
Correlation Research v. Experimental Research
C: measures relationships b/w two variables (naturalistic observation case studies, ethnography, survey research, and psychophysiological methods).
E: designed to discover causal relationships.
Miscarriage v. Abortion
M: spontaneous abortion
15-20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage.
Many times, not aware of pregnancy usually due to genetic abnormality.
Women who suffer miscarriages experience anxiety, depression, and grief.
Depression rates for women who have had a miscarriage remain high.
Post Delivery
1970- avg. hospital stay: 3.9 days
1990- avg. hospital stay: 2 days
American Academy of Pediatrics states that women should stay 2 days.
U.S. Congress passed legislation for insurance to cover 2 days for childbirth.
Physical Stimulation and Sensory Stimulation
Carry baby in different positions let infants explore environment engage in "rough and tough" play let babies touch their food and play w/ it.
Provide toys that stimulate the senses.
Gender
Males more active/fussier than females.
By age 1, infants distinguish male from female.
Differences in genders is larger than b/w genders.
Gender is influenced by gender roles.
Differences are also due to prenatal exposure to hormones.