CHAPTER 2 CHILDHOOD PERIODS The infant’s body undergoes constant changes, experiencing certain morphological, physiological and psychological transformations during each age period. The growth and development occur in a certain logical sequence – from the moment of birth until the time of adulthood. The child’s development passes through certain periods during which the anatomical and physiological characteristics undergo changes. Certain periods of child’s development are characterized by different rates of growth, maturity degree, functioning of organs and systems, as well as the particularities of interaction with the environment. Due to its extensive social and medical relevance, the problem of periodization of the individual development …show more content…
The prenatal period of development, along with organogenesis, is characterized by rapid growth and intense increase of fetal weight (the weight increases on an average by 6-1012 times, while the length of the fetus increases by 5000 times). During the embryonic phase of development, the formation of organs and systems, as well as the external body parts, occurs. During the placental phase (the fetal period), the tissue differentiation occurs, as well as deposition of food components which will not be introduced with breast milk in sufficient amount. The fetus obtains the substances required for growth and development from the mother, therefore, the development of the unborn child largely depends on the mother’s lifestyle and health. The fetal period consists of the following stages: - early antenatal period (up to 28 weeks of gestation); - late antenatal period (from the 28th week until the moment of birth); - intranatal period (from the moment of regular dilating pains until the ligation of umbilical cord). The impact of any adverse environmental factors on a woman’s body may cause embryo- and / or fetopathy. Adverse factors, influencing a pregnant woman’s body are divided into: - exogenous …show more content…
Combination of exogenous (teratogenic) and endogenous (genetic) factors consists of impacts from these two groups. The formation of certain defects depends on the period of influence of teratogenic factors on the fetal organs and systems. The sensitivity of various organs and systems to teratogenic factors is different during certain periods of embryogenesis. The age of fetus, or gestational age from 3 to 7 weeks, i.e., the embryonic phase, is regarded as a critical period of development. During this period, severe and fatal malformations (abortion, stillbirth, etc.) may occur. The influence of unfavorable factors during the early fetal sub-period (9-28 weeks) usually does not lead to malformations, but it can be manifested by delayed growth and differentiation of organs (hypoplasia) or impaired differentiation of tissues (dysplasia). Because of immature immune system, the response to intrauterine infection, often of viral etiology (TORCH-infections), is manifested by the connective-tissue proliferative reactions which lead to cirrhosis and fibrosis. The birth of immature or premature infant is
Although there are many factors that affect the development of the fetus, research on the specific effects of prenatal maternal stress and the resulting negative outcomes for the development of the fetus will be reviewed. While there is knowledge of these harmful effects in scientific and medical communities, researchers are still in the midst of discovering the results of these negative effects on human development. An overall review of the literature suggests that this topic is still relatively new in research as most of the articles make note that despite the amount of current research studies, there are still many unanswered questions.
Infants go through many changes in their first two years of life. All are very important and should be monitored, but the physical change in an infant is the most noticeable change. By the
Based on my knowledge about prenatal development and childbirth I expected the women to answer the way they did. Development happens rapidly during the prenatal period, which is the time between conception and birth. Prenatal development is normally divided into three stages: the germinal stage, the embryonic stage, and the fetal stage.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every eight babies each year in the United States is born premature. This affects approximately 500,000 babies yearly. Premature babies are defined as babies born more than three weeks before the baby’s due date. Full term babies are born at approximately forty weeks, and premature babies are born at less than thirty-seven weeks. In the final months and weeks of pregnancy, important growth and development occur in the fetus. This is why premature babies are considered to be at-risk for a number of issues. The earlier that a baby is born, the baby’s risks drastically increase for developmental issues.
Middle childhood brings many changes to a child’s life. Middle childhood is the developmental phase that leads from the period before commencement of the physiological processes and changes associated with puberty ...
The early stages of a child’s lifespan is the most crucial part of their overall development. “Brain and biological development during this time is influenced by an infant's environment”(Statistics
Lifespan development is essential, as it is the changes that happen to us throughout a person’s lifespan. Our development occurs at ages stages where we develop from infancy till death. This essay will contain my life story to display the domains in 5 age stages in my lifespan development. The domains I will be exploring is in this essay is physical, emotional, cognitive, social, cultural and moral domain. The influence of biological and environmental play a significant role in my development. Development is influenced by nature or nurture and its affect will occur throughout lifespan. The changes that occur during development have stage. Each theorists has stages of development where they display the changes. This essay will explore my development that will support theorist such as Erikson, Vygotsky, Berk, Piaget and other theorist. The age stages of prenatal will display physical and emotional domain, Infancy (0-2) will portray social and emotional domain, young children (2-6) will show cognitive and social domain, middle childhood (6-12) will display socio-cultural and moral domain and adolescence will portray nature vs. nurture and cultural domain. Development is crucial for a healthy wellbeing. As a physiotherapist it is significant to understand development in age stages, as it will aid knowing how young children will react compared to an adolescence who is more development mentally, emotionally, physically, socially and culturally.
This is the embryonic period, which occurs three weeks after conception and lasts until the eighth week. During the fourth week, the shape of the head begins to form, along with the formation of the eyes, mouth, nose, and mouth. Through the fifth and eighth week the lower body develops, as the legs and arms appear. After the embryonic stage, the fetal stage begins, which is during the ninth week through birth, where the fetus has a physical appearance distinctive to human features compared to when it was an embryo. At birth, one of the earliest signs of motor development is its first reflexes as a newborn coming out the mother’s womb. Newborns reflexes are not learned, rather they are born with these reflexes and act instinctively to protect itself in its first few months of life. At this point both the physical and motor development is starting to develop naturally at the same
The process of human development is very complex. It is a continual process, providing gradual development for the fetus. Some of the most important factors to fetal development such as blood flow, heart beats, muscle development, and brain activity can all be determined within the first seven weeks of pregnancy (Baby Developme...
The first type of development that can be observed is physical development. Physical development refers to a child's gross and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills are the use of large groups of muscles that can develop naturally through outdoor and indoor play. During play, a child may use their gross motor skills by standing, jumping, climbing, running or riding a bike. "If children are encouraged to be physically active, these skills can develop into advanced patterns of motor coordination that can last a lifetime" (brightfutures.org). Fine motor skills are the use of the muscles in the hands. These muscles can develop by using fingers to cut with scissors, write, paint and many other activities. Underdeveloped muscles, weight gain, and high blood pressure are all signs o...
In the developing stages of a child, psychological factors play a huge role in th...
Child development and growth observation can be quite fascinating considering the uniqueness of each child. As children grow, they normally develop and acquire new skills whether complex or not. The abilities experienced by each child progresses differently that is it depends on the nurturing given by the parent or guardian and on the characteristics that they inherit. Proper development and growth of the child occurs when basic needs are provided by the reliable adult guardians, including such things as love, food, encouragement, shelter and warmth. The essay evaluates child development and growth through observation conducted by myself on my nephew. The essay will include physical development, general health, emotional development,
Adults and teachers need to do everything possible to keep physical development from being delayed. Adults can provide children with opportunities to help them in development. By the age of three a child's brain is three quarters of its adult size. From infancy to the age of two development is very rapid (Santrock, 1996). For this reason it is essential for the child to be able to explore their world around them.
Every woman when pregnant has a 3-5% chance of having a baby born with a birth defect, and these chances increase when the developing fetus/ embryos are exposed to teratogens, whether it’s intentional or unintentional (Bethesda (MD), 2006). Teratogens can cause severe birth defects, malformations, or terminate the pregnancy altogether (Jancárková, & Gregor, 2000). The placenta is known as an effective barrier from any detrimental pathogen that can potentially hurt the fetus. The timing of exposure of any teratogen is critical to the impact of prenatal development (Bethesda (MD), 2006). The most vulnerable time of the fetus for severe damage is during early pregnancy when all the major organ and central nervous system (CNS) are developing. Miscarriages have an important role in keeping a pregnancy from evolving when there is something serious going on with the developing fetus/embryo. Miscarriages are more common than we think and are the most familiar type of pregnancy loss (Bethesda (MD), 2006).
This process is called conception, the female is now officially two weeks pregnant and the fertilized egg is called a zygote. Let’s move on to pregnancy. Pregnancy is a state in which a woman carries a fertilized egg inside her body, it usually lasts up to 40 weeks, and it is divided into three trimesters, each lasting three months. The first month. The embryo is about a third of an inch long. The head, trunk, and the beginnings of the arms and legs have started to develop. By this month, the embryo starts to receive nutrients and releases waste through the umbilical cord and placenta. The heart also starts to beat. The second month. The heart is now pumping and the nervous system, including the brain and the spinal cord begins to develop. The fetus is 1 in 2.5cm now and has developed cartilage skeleton. The arms, legs, facial features and other major organs begin to appear. The third month. The fetus has grown up to 4 in 10cm and weighs a little more than an ounce. The major blood vessels are almost completed and the face starts to show up more. The kidneys and the 4 chambers of the heart are now complete. The fourth month. The fetus is now 4 oz of 112g and can kick and swallow. The