What is Development?
- progressive change throughout life
- process shaped by experience
caregiver role
where infants are in an environment and what positions they are in
- how they are being taken care of
cephalocaudal development
development that starts from the head (starts from the top)
proximodistal development
development starts from the center of the body and moves outwards towards the limbs
Nutrition
- infants tripe their weight and increase their length by 50 percent
infant mortality
risk of infant mortality highest during first month of life
malnutrition
many children experience growth stunting
growth faltering
weight below 5th percentile
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
condition that occurs when infants stop breathing and die without any apparent reasons
4 lobes of the brain
parietal, temporal, occipital, frontal
frontal
critical thinking
parietal
sensory information
occipital
looking
temporal
hearing
Neurogenesis
formation of neurons (early prenatal development)
Synaptogenesis
increased connectivity among neurons creates new neural pathways
myelination
used to help axons increase speed of conduction
synaptic pruning
connections that are used become stronger, while unused ones are replaced or disappear ("pruned")
experience-expectant brain development
brain depends on experiencing certain basic events at key points in time for typical development
- concept of sensitive period
rooting reflex
when infants cheek is stroked, their head turn towards it
moro reflex
when infants hear a sudden loud noise or experiences unexpected movement, they will extend the palms with arms up
palmar grasp
when placing a finger in infant's palm, the hand will close around it