Physical Development in Early Childhood

1
Physical Development in Early Childhood

• Chapter 7

2
Growth Patterns

• Height and weight increase rapidly but less
  rapidly than in infancy
• Cephalocaudal trend changes to be more adult-like
  proportions
• As middle childhood is reached, rate of growth
  slows until adolescence

3
Nutrition

• Caloric Intake
• Child (2-3 years old)
• 1000 cal sedentary? 1400 cal active
• Female (4-8 years old)
• 1200 cal sedentary? 1800 cal active
• Male (4-8 years old)
• 1400 cal sedentary? 2000 cal active
• Source USDA, 2005

4
Nutrition

• Protein
• Amino acids
• Supports new growth
• Carbohydrates
• Provides energy for muscle activity
• Generation of heat
• Support brain functioning

5
Nutrition

• Fat
• Temperature control
• High levels linked to heart disease
• Body produces cholesterol
• Minerals and Vitamins
• Required for bone growth
• Deficits linked to physical and mental problems

6
Nutrition

• Malnutrition
• Lower than necessary caloric intake
  (undernourished)
• Inappropriate nutritional categories
  (malnourished)

7
Nutrition

• Impact of Malnutrition During Early Chhd
• Malnutrition in infancy
• Increased emotional responses to stress
• Lowered thresholds of arousal
• Nutritional supplementary programs most effective
  in early childhood
• Recipients of supplements were
• More active,
• More talkative,
• Less time crying

8
Nutrition

• Specific Deficiencies
• Iodineretardation of cognitive capacity and
  physical growth (particularly during
  pregnancyKyrgyz Case)
• Ironlower levels of performance on infant
  psychological tests lower IQ scores among young
  children (e.g. prenatal anemia among Kyrgyz
  women)

9
Brain Growth Development

• Changes in the early childhood brain
• Increased rate of mylenation
• Increased production of glial cells
• Synaptic pruning
• Increase in mass of brain
• Increase in circumference of the skull

10
Experience and Brain Development

• Experienceexpectant development
• Readiness to learn based on genetics
• Species-specific readiness
• Fixed action patterns
• Action potential
• Sensitive periods primed for stimulation
• The special case of language

11
Experience and Brain Development

• Experiencedependent development
• Neural pathways dependent on unique experience
• Basis of individual differences
• Basis of unique skills
• Pruning allows new pathways to mature
• Fragile X syndromenegates pruning
• How much is enough stimulation? (Scarr)

12
Brain Lobes and Development

• Occipitalvisual cortex develops early (e.g. face
  recognition)
• Temporallanguage learning continues to develop
  across early childhood

13
Brain Lobes and Development

• Parietalmovement, orientation, recognition,
  perception of stimuli (coordinationeye hand)
• Frontalreasoning, planning, parts of speech,
  movement, emotions, and problem solving (develops
  into young adulthood)Hippocampusmemories
  immaturity related to infantile amnesia

14
Motor Development

• Locomotor skills
• Gait becomes smoother
• Stair climbingboth feet brought to the same step
  before moving upward or downward
• Eye-hand and eye-foot coordination improves
• Running and jumping become easier
• Balance improves
• Based on maturation, experience, and encouragment

15
Motor Development

• Fine motor skills
• Require greater precision and control
• 2-3 year olds begin stacking blocks, molding
  clay, scribbling, etc
• 3-4 year olds more accurately perform tasks such
  as writing letters with an adult-like grip,
  cutting with blunt scissors, open screw-top
  containers (cause for caution) etc.

16
Physical Activity Exercise

• USDA
• at least 60 minutes each day of vigorous exercise
  for all with an additional 60 minutes of free
  activity
• Vigorous exercise
• Increases pulmonary functioning
• Supports bone growth and strength
• Play with peers increases opportunity for social,
  language, and cognitive development
• Can support family cohesion (biking, hiking,
  swimming)
• Reduce sedentary time (e.g. computer, t.v.)

17
Developmental Delays Disorders

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
  Americans with Disabilities Act
• Adaptive physical education
• Independent living training
• Adaptive facilities
• Leaning Post Ranch experience

18
Safety and Early Childhood

• Car Seatsage and size appropriate correctly
  installed
• Poison controlcabinet locks, removal, healthier
  alternatives to toxic substances
• Illness/Diseaseinoculations, food safety,
  childhood diseases
• Pool and Water safetylocked gates, alarms,
  supervision
• Firearm safetylocked in safe, ammunition stored
  separately, not in the home

19
Child Maltreatment

• Physical Abuse
• Striking a child causing some level of physical
  harm (brusing, etc.)
• Can be unintentional arising from punishment that
  escalated
• Can be intentional

20
Child Maltreatment

• Neglect
• failure to provide for basic needs (social,
  emotional, educational, physical)
• Includes abandonment, leaving the child alone and
  unsupervised

21
Child Maltreatment

• Sexual
• Fondling a childs genitals or breasts
• Oral, anal, vaginal intercourse
• Other sex acts
• Exposing child to pornography or other sexual
  acts
• Involving child in pornography production

22
Child Maltreatment

• Psychological
• Degrading
• Threatening
• Isolating
• Typically, the categories overlap with multiple
  types of abuse
• Reporting Requirements any professional or
  volunteer with reason to believe abuse is taking
  place must report it.

23
Child Maltreatment

• Most likely to inflict abuse Mother
• Most likely to be abused Infants (gt 1yr)
• Young boys most likely to be physically abused
• Young adolescent girls most likely to be
  physically abused
• Girls most likely to experience sexual abuse

24
Outcomes of Abuse

• Physical
• Lowered reactivity to stressors (non-reactive
  salivarial cortisol)
• Hippocampus may be smaller
• Psychological
• Move from trust to mistrust (ala Erikson)
• Use of violence to deal with conflict
• Lack of sympathetic response to others distress
• Little evidence that a abused kids grow up to be
  abusive parents

25
Outcomes of Neglect

• Lower achievement in academics than abused
  children
• Poor social development with withdrawal
• Poor emotional control

26
Factors Impacting Outcomes of Abuse

• The child's age and developmental status when the
  abuse or neglect occurred
• The type of abuse (physical abuse, neglect,
  sexual abuse, etc.)
• The frequency, duration, and severity of abuse
• The relationship between the victim and his or
  her abuser (English et al., 2005 Chalk, Gibbons
  Scarupa, 2002)