LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT

1
Children Chapter 9 Physical Development in
Early Childhood
2
Height and Weight

• Average child grows 2½ inches and gains between 5
  and 7 pounds a year during early childhood
• Growth patterns affected by genetics, growth
  hormones, environmental factors
• Boys gain muscle, girls gain fatty tissue

3
The Brain

• Brain and head fastest growth in body
• 75 of adult size by age 3
• 90 of adult size by age 5
• Neuronal Changes
• Myelination nerve cells insulated
• 36 age period dopamine increase

4
Structural Changes in the Brain

• Brain undergoes dramatic anatomical changes
  between ages of 3 and 15
• Some areas almost double in size, purge of
  unneeded cells follows (up to age 4)
• Frontal lobe growth (36 years of age)
• Temporal and parietal lobes (6puberty)

5
The Brain and Cognitive Development

• Neural networks visual input is coded output is
  language
• Prefrontal cortex
• Dopamine key to information transmission in
  prefrontal cortex and neural circuit
• Important in self-control and other skills
• Preschool depth perception is maturing

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The Prefrontal Cortex
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Vision

• Regular vision screening before age 3
• Visual problems
• Unusual appearance of eyes
• Treatment before age 6 prevents vision loss
• Functional amblyopia imbalance, lazy eye
• Strabismus misalignment of eyes

8
Gross and Fine Motor Skills

• Preschooler highest activity level of any age in
  the life span
• Need daily exercise good programs with
  creativity and free movement
• Exercise increases physical and visual awareness

9
Gross Motor Skills

• Age 3 Enjoys simple movements such as hopping,
  jumping, and running
• Age 4 Becomes more adventurous and climbs
• Age 5 Runs hard, is adventurous, tries
  hair-raising stunts in climbing

10
Fine Motor Skills

• Age 3 Still emerging from infant ability to
  place and handle things
• Age 4 Coordination improved and more precise
• Age 5 Hand, arm, and body move together under
  better eye command

11
Development of Fine Motor Skills in Early
Childhood
Listed in approximate order of difficulty in each
period
12
Young Childrens Artistic Drawings

• Unintended irregularities suggest spontaneity,
  freedom, and directness
• Art provides hands-on approach to problem-solving
  skills reinforces ideas of scale, space, motion,
  distance

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Stages of Young Childrens Artistic Development
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Origin and Development of Handedness

• Genetic inheritance
• Right-handedness dominant in all cultures
• Hand preference may occur in womb
• Many preschoolers use both hands preference
  develops later

15
Handedness, the Brain, and Language

• Approximately 95 of right-handed individuals
  process speech primarily in left hemisphere
• Left-handed individuals
• About 66 show speech and language in left
  hemisphere
• Show more variation in processing
• More likely to have reading problems and Learning
  disabilities

16
Handedness and Other Abilities

• Left-handers more common among
• Mathematicians
• Musicians
• Architects
• Artists
• 20 of top-scoring SAT group were left handed

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Sleep and Sleep Problems

• Most young children sleep through night
• Transitional objects
• Link between sleep and behavioral problems
• Nightmares frightening dreams
• Night terrors sudden arousal, intense
• Somnambulism sleep walking

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Nutrition

• Energy/calorie needs increase with age
• Diets should be well-balanced
• Avoid excessive fast food, fat, and sugar

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Sweets, Snacks, and Fussy Eaters

• Many eating problems carry over from toddler
  years
• Allow child to eat in any order/combination
• Let meal end when child has had enough
• Keep mealtimes enjoyable
• Dont use food as reward, punishment, bribe, or
  threat

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Obesity in Young Children

• Percentage of obese children increasing
• Encourage child to make independent and better
  choices
• Childhood obesity affects health problems
• Center life around activities, not meals
• Obesity linked to self-esteem

21
Malnutrition in Young Children from Low-Income
Families

• Malnutrition linked to many aspects of
  development
• Iron deficiency anemia
• May be linked to cognitive deficits
• Underfed children tend to receive less
  supervision, stimulation, education
• Linked to aggressive, hyperactive behavior

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Preventing Childhood Injuries

• Accidents are leading cause of death in children
  ages 1 through 4
• Many injuries can be prevented
• Always use car seats
• Lock up guns
• Childproof home and playground
• Better construction of playground equipment

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Main Causes of Death in Children 1 Through
4 Years of Age
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Contexts of Young Childrens Health

• Poverty a special concern
• Safety at home and in child care
• Childs lack of maturity in communication and
  coping skills
• Parenting strategies and medical treatment

25

• Environmental tobacco smoke
• Physical effects on children
• Exposure to Lead
• 3 million children under age 6 are at risk
• Cognitive deficits and ADHD