Child Development Lecture. growth and development

What is growth and development and how humans grow and develop

1. Unit 1: Introduction to Growth and Development Prepared by: Shazia Safwan

2. Overview of Growth and Development Introduction to child development General Principles of Child Development Factors influencing Child Development 3 Domains of Development

3. Overview of Growth and Development In the context of childhood development, growth is defined as an irreversible constant increase in size, and development is defined as growth in psychomotor capacity. Both processes are highly dependent on genetic, nutritional, and environmental factors.  Evaluation of growth and development is a crucial element in the physical examination of a patient .

4. A piece of good working knowledge and the skills to evaluate growth and development are necessary for any patient's diagnostic workup. The early recognition of growth or developmental failure helps for effective intervention in managing a patient's problem .

5. Phases of growth There are five significant phases in human growth and development Infancy (neonate and up to one year age) Toddler ( one to five years of age) Childhood (three to eleven years old) - early childhood is from three to eight years old, and middle childhood is from nine to eleven years old.  Adolescence or teenage (from 12 to 18 years old) Adulthood

6. Introduction to child development We will look at how we change physically over time from conception through adolescence. We examine cognitive change, or how our ability to think and remember changes over the first 20 years or so of life. we will look at how our emotions, psychological state, and social relationships change throughout childhood and adolescence.

7. Growth and development may seem like synonyms in most contexts, but they have very different meanings when discussing childhood. Healthcare professionals use the term ‘growth’ to refer to physical changes that take place inside humans’ bodies from conception to adulthood. Typically, healthy children get taller and gain weight as they age.

8. measures of growth include: Head circumference Limb proportions Skeletal maturity Replacement of primary, or baby, teeth with permanent teeth

9. By contrast, ‘development’ refers to the advancement of humans’ cognitive and psychomotor abilities. Counselors  and pediatricians use developmental milestones to monitor children’s progress in these areas. Examples of standard milestones include:

10. Rolling over by six months Crawling by nine months Obeying basic instructions at twelve months Walking independently by eighteen months Kicking a ball by age two Turning the pages in a book independently by age three Cutting paper with scissors by age four Counting to 10 by age five

11. General Principles of Child Development There are several underlying principles of development to keep in mind: Development is lifelong and change is apparent across the lifespan and early experiences affect later development. Development is multidirectional. We show gains in some areas of development, while showing loss in other areas.

12. Development is multidimensional. We change across three general domains physical, cognitive, and social and emotional. The physical domain includes changes in height and weight, changes in gross and fine motor skills, sensory capabilities, the nervous system, as well as the tendency for disease and illness.

13. The cognitive domain encompasses the changes in intelligence, wisdom, perception, problem-solving, memory, and language. The social and emotional domain (also referred to as psychosocial) focuses on changes in emotion, self-perception, and interpersonal relationships with families, peers, and friends.

14. Factors influencing Child Development Humans are complex organisms, making it challenging to determine which factors impact development the most. For instance, a child may refuse to learn to swim due to a traumatic experience, parental fears, self-consciousness of their body, or a combination of these influences

15. Two Significant Factors These two significant factors affect all children to varying extents as they age: 1. GENES Children inherit genes from their parents, and these microscopic DNA strands can have a considerable impact on physical growth. For instance, genes determine approximately 80% of a person’s adult height, and environmental factors like nutrition affect the other 20%.

16. A 2020 study reveals that genes influence head circumference and childhood intelligence. Genes also shape children’s physical and mental health. Some infants are born with genetic disorders caused by mutations in their DNA strands. Conditions like Down syndrome, a chromosomal disorder, a congenital spinal disability, significantly disrupt children’s growth and development

17. 2. PARENTING Parents also play a crucial role in children’s growth and development. Parenting styles affect children’s behavior, cognitive processes, and personalities. For example, positive parenting practices like creating mealtime routines and feeding healthy snacks help children self-regulate their diet and weight. Similarly, authoritative parents with clear behavioral rules tend to raise confident and independent children. By contrast, kids raised by uninvolved parents may struggle to regulate their emotions and develop healthy social relationships.

18. Other influencing factors Many  other factors  influence growth and development from conception to adulthood, such as: SOCIOECONOMIC INFLUENCES Family income and level of education contribute to children’s physical and cognitive growth. On average, kids born in families with high socioeconomic statuses grow taller than their lower-status peers. They’re also more likely to engage in physical activity and organized sports, boosting their health and social relationships.

19. In addition, socioeconomic factors impact mental well-being. A 2020 meta-analysis of population-based studies detected a link between low socioeconomic status and child psychopathology. Children raised in poverty are more likely to experience challenges like housing instability and traumatic experiences. As a result, they develop mental disorders at higher rates than youth from wealthier families.

20. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Children grow up surrounded by external influences that impact growth and development in complex ways. Environmental factors include climate, cognitive stimulation, diet, friends, housing conditions, infections, pollution, and stress. Many of these forces, like pollution and weather, can negatively affect developing children.

21. For example, a 2022 study reported that air pollutants affect child neurodevelopment, leading to poor academic performance. Peer relationships also shape cognitive development. Children who experience bullying perform worse on cognitive tests, have more behavioral issues, and get lower grades than non-bullied children.

22. 3 Domains of Development During each age and stage, development occurs in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains.  Physical development  involves growth and changes in the body and brain, the senses, motor skills, and health and wellness. Cognitive development  involves learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity.  Psychosocial development  involves emotions, personality, and social relationships.

23. Physical Domain Many of us are familiar with the height and weight charts that pediatricians consult to estimate if babies, children, and teens are growing within normative ranges of physical development. We may also be aware of changes in children’s fine and gross motor skills, as well as their increasing coordination, particularly in terms of playing sports.

24. But we may not realize that physical development also involves brain development, which not only enables childhood motor coordination but also greater coordination between emotions and planning in adulthood, as our brains are not done developing in infancy or childhood. Physical development also includes puberty, sexual health, fertility, menopause, changes in our senses, and primary versus secondary aging. Healthy habits with nutrition and exercise are also important at every age and stage across the lifespan.

25. Cognitive Domain If we watch and listen to infants and toddlers, we can’t help but wonder how they learn so much so fast, particularly when it comes to language development. Then as we compare young children to those in middle childhood, there appear to be huge differences in their ability to think logically about the concrete world around them. Cognitive development includes mental processes, thinking, learning, and understanding, and it doesn’t stop in childhood.

26. Adolescents develop the ability to think logically about the abstract world . Moral reasoning develops further, as does practical intelligence—wisdom may develop with experience over time. Memory abilities and different forms of intelligence tend to change with age. Brain development and the brain’s ability to change and compensate for losses is significant to cognitive functions across the lifespan, too.

27. Psychosocial Domain Development in this domain involves what’s going on both psychologically and socially. Early on, the focus is on infants and caregivers, as temperament and attachment are significant. As the social world expands and the child grows psychologically, different types of play, and interactions with other children and teachers become important. Psychosocial development involves emotions, personality, self-esteem, and relationships. Peers become more important for adolescents, who are exploring new roles and forming their own identities.

28. C ohabitation, marriage, having children, and finding work or a career are all parts of the transition into adulthood. Psychosocial development continues across adulthood with similar (and some different) developmental issues of family, friends, parenting, romance, divorce, remarriage, blended families, caregiving for elders, becoming grandparents and great grandparents, retirement, new careers, coping with losses, and death.