Developmental psychologyLesson 1 of 1 in the course Physical and Cognitive Development in Infants and Toddlers (Birth to Age 3)

Infant and Toddler Development: Growth, Sleep, Feeding, Brain, and Health

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

The first two years bring rapid changes in a child’s body. This lesson explains the predictable directions of growth, important physical milestones, and how health professionals use growth measurements to understand development.

Growth follows several broad patterns. These are general developmental trends, not rigid schedules that every child follows at exactly the same pace.

All flashcards

What is the cephalocaudal pattern?
A general pattern in which growth and control progress from the head downward toward the torso and legs.
What is the proximodistal pattern?
A pattern in which development progresses from the center of the body outward, with central control preceding refined control of hands and fingers.
What is the mass-to-specific pattern?
A progression from broad actions involving large muscle groups, such as rolling, to precise actions involving smaller muscles, such as grasping.
What does a growth-chart percentile show?
It shows how a measurement compares with measurements in a reference group of children of the same age and sex. It is most useful when interpreted as a trend over time.
What is failure to thrive?
Growth significantly below what is expected for a child’s age. Inadequate calorie intake is a common cause, although medical and environmental factors may also contribute.

Quiz questions

  1. How does the proportion of an infant’s sleep spent in REM generally change as children mature?Answer: It decreases as children grow older.
  2. What does the A-B-C approach to infant safe sleep recommend?Answer: Alone, on the Back, in a Crib or approved sleep space.
  3. What is responsive feeding?Answer: Noticing and responding to a child’s hunger and fullness cues without forcing food.
  4. What happens during synaptic pruning?Answer: Some neural connections are removed as the brain refines its networks.
  5. Which diseases does the DTaP vaccine protect against?Answer: Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.

Based on Lifespan Development by Diana Riser, Rose Spielman, David Biek (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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