Exam 2 Chapters 5 10 CHD2220 Fall Semester Chapter 5 Body Growth Changes in body proportions Two growth patterns 1 Cephalocaudal head to tail Growth always starts from the top and proceeds downward For example prenatally the brain begins to form before the bottom half of the body starts to develop 2 Proximodistal near to far Growth happens from the center of the body outward head chest and trunk grow first then the arms and legs and finally the hands and feet For example children can control their large muscle movements of their arms before they have control of their fingers fine motor Brain Development Brain plasticity the capacity of various parts of the cerebral cortex to take over functions of damaged regions The brain is more plastic during the first years than at any later time in life The cortex has a high capacity for learning An overabundance of synaptic connections supports brain plasticity and therefore young children s ability to learn Sensitive Periods Babies born with cataracts in both eyes and have surgery within 4 to 6 months show rapid improvement in vision compared to babies who have postponed If delayed until adulthood then vision is severely and permanently damaged In addition to impoverished environments ones that overwhelm children with expectations beyond their current capacities interfere with the brains potential Adopted Romanian orphanage children before 6 months caught up impressively to all domains of development Those that have been institutionalized for more than 6 months showed serious intellectual deficits Chronic stress of early deprived orphanage rearing disrupts the brain s capacity to manage to stress The longer the children spent in orphanage care the higher their cortisol levels physiological response linked to illness retarded physical growth and learning and behavior problems Yielding smarter and better babies with stimulation for which they are not ready can cause them to withdraw thereby threatening their interest in learning and creating conditions much like stimulus deprivation Appropriate Stimulation Two types of brain development 1 Experience expectant brain growth the young brain s rapidly developing organizations which depends on ordinary experiences opportunities to see and touch objects to hear language and other sounds and to move about and explore the environment Takes place early and naturally as caregivers offer babies age appropriate play materials and engage them in enjoyable daily routines shared meal a game of peekaboo a bath before bed a picture book to talk about or a song to sing Provides the foundation for the later occurring experience dependent 2 Experience dependent brain growth occurs throughout our lives It consists of additional growth and the refinement of established brain structures as a result of specific learning experiences that vary widely across the individuals and cultures Ex reading and writing playing video games and practicing the violin Rushing early learning also harms the brain by overwhelming its neural circuits thereby reducing the brain s sensitivity to the everyday experiences it needs for a healthy life Influences on Early Physical Growth Heredity Important in physical growth When diet and health are adequate height and rate of physical growth are largely determined by heredity Genetic makeup affects body weight adopted children resemble their weight from their biological parents more than their adoptive parents Nutrition Crucial in the first 2 years because the baby s brain and body are growing so rapidly Infant s energy needs are twice those of an adult need extra calories to keep rapidly developing organs functioning properly Breastfeeding is best nutrition for baby page 179 until age 2 About 2 3 of mothers breastfeeding stop after a few months Benefits The mother doesn t need to add other foods until the baby is 6 months 1 year old breastfed babies are leaner Antibodies are transferred from the mother enhances functioning of the immune system Fewer allergies and respiratory and intestinal illnesses Protects against tooth decay Fewer gastrointestinal respiratory tract infections asthma middle ear infections less likely to be overweight obese even as ADULTS less likely to die of SIDS To mother lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer risk of Diabetes Who should not HIV Tuberculosis taking drugs that can go through breast milk Most chubby babies thin out during toddlerhood and preschool years as weight gain slows and they become more active Parents who promote unhealthy eating turn into habits for their children Breastfeed for the first 6 months associated with slower weight gain Avoid food loaded with sugar salt and saturated fats 1 3 of the world s children suffer before age 5 Two dietary diseases 1 Marasmus caused by a diet low in all essential nutrients low protein and calories wasting away of body tissues in the first year of life 2 Kwashiorkor child s abdomen and feet swell caused by deficiency in protein between 1 and 3 years of age Caused by an unbalanced diet very low in protein Strikes between ages 1 and 3 Can cause swelling and other symptoms Children who survive grow to be smaller in all body dimensions and suffer from lasting damage to the brain heart liver or other organs When their diets do improve they gain excessive weight Malnourished body protects itself from establishing a low basal metabolism rate Interferes with learning and behavior Malnutrition Emotional well being We don t think of affection and stimulation as being something that children need to grow physically but they are related It is as important as food Growth faltering applied to infants whose height weight and head circumference are substantially below age related norms and are withdrawn and apathetic of the cases may have a disturbed infant parent relationships and this contributes to failure to grow normally Learning capacities Operant Conditioning Infants act or operate on the environment and stimuli that follow their behavior change the probability that the behavior will occur again Reinforcer a stimulus that increases the occurrence of a response Ex sweet liquid reinforces the sucking response in newborns Punishment removing a desirable stimulus or presenting an unpleasant one to decrease the occurrence of a response Ex a sour tasting liquid punishes newborn babies sucking response Powerful tool for finding out what stimuli babies can perceive and which ones they prefer Vital role in formation of social
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