Principles of growth and development

Principles of growth and development

1. PRINCIPLES OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Mrs. D. Melba Sahaya Sweety M.Sc Nursing (Pediatric Nursing) GIMSAR

2. INTRODUCTION Continual change is the essence of life. The rapid changes in size that we call  growth , and the rapid changes in form, function and behaviour that we call  development , are the core of paediatrics.  Growth is a form of motion. Growth means the increase in the size of the various parts and organs of the body by multiplication of cells and intercellular components during the period commencing from fertilization to physical maturity Child development refers to the sequence of physical, language, thought and emotional changes that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood. During this process a child progresses from dependency on their parents/guardians to increasing independence

3. DEFINITION Growth It is the process of physical maturation resulting an increase in size of the body and various organs. It occurs by multiplication of cells and an increase in intracellular substance. It is quantitative changes of the body.

4. Development It is the process of functional and physiological maturation of the individual or It is progressive increase in skill and capacity to function and It is related to maturation and myelination of the nervous system which includes psychological, emotional and social changes. It is a qualitative aspects. DEFINITION

5. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT GROWTH DEVELOPMENT Growth refers to physiological changes Development refers to overall changes in the individual. It involves changes in an orderly and coherent type towards the goal of maturity. Changes in the quantitative respect is termed as growth. Development changes in the quality along with quantitative aspect Growth does not continue throughout life. Development continues throughout life Growth occurs due to the multiplication of cells Development occurs due to both maturation and interaction with the environment

6. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT GROWTH DEVELOPMENT Growth is cellular Development is organizational Growth is one of the part of the developmental process Development is a wider and comprehensive term Growth may be referred to describe the changes in particular aspects of the body and behaviour of the organism Development describes the changes in the organism as a whole The changes produced by growth are subjects of measurements. They may be quantified and observable in nature. Development brings qualitative changes which are difficult to measure directly. They are assessed through keen observation of behaviour in different situations.

7. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT GROWTH DEVELOPMENT Growth is structural Development is considered as functional. Growth is an external process Development is an internal process. Growth is influenced by the development Development is independent it does not depend upon growth Growth changes the physical changes of a person On the other hand, development changes the character of a person. Growth stops after maturation Development is progressive

8. PRINCIPLES OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

9. 1. Growth and Development proceeds from the head down to the tail or cephalocaudle direction This principle describes the direction of growth and development. According to this principle, the child gains control of the head first, then the arms, and then the legs. Infants develop control of the head and face movements within the first two months after birth. In the next few months, they are able to lift themselves up by using their arms. By 6 to 12 months of age, infants start to gain leg control and may be able to crawl, stand, or walk. Coordination of arms always precedes coordination of legs.

10. 2. Growth and Development proceeds from the center of the body towards peripheral or Proximodistal direction In Proximodistal development that also describes the direction of development. This means that the spinal cord develops before outer parts of the body. The child’s arms develop before the hands and the hands and feet develop before the fingers and toes. Finger and toe muscles (used in fine motor dexterity) are the last to develop in physical development.

11. 3. Growth and development proceed from the general to specific. In motor development, the infant will be able to grasp an object with the whole hand before using only the thumb and forefinger. The infant’s first motor movements are very generalized, undirected, and reflexive, waving arms or kicking before being able to reach or creep toward an object. Growth occurs from large muscle movements to more refined (smaller) muscle movements.

12. 4. Growth and development is a continuous process. For example, in motor development, there is a predictable sequence of developments that occur before walking. The infant lifts and turns the head before he or she can turn over. Infants can move their limbs (arms and legs) before grasping an object. Mastery of climbing stairs involves increasing skills from holding on to walking alone. By the age of four, most children can walk up and down stairs with alternating feet. As in maturation, in order for children to write or draw, they must have developed the manual (hand) control to hold a pencil and crayon.

13. 5. Development depends on maturation and learning. Maturation refers to the sequential characteristic of biological growth and development. The biological changes occur in sequential order and give children new abilities. Changes in the brain and nervous system account largely for maturation. These changes in the brain and nervous system help children to improve in thinking (cognitive) and motor (physical) skills. Also, children must mature to a certain point before they can progress to new skills (Readiness). For example, a four-month-old cannot use language because the infant’s brain has not matured enough to allow the child to talk. By two years old, the brain has developed further and with help from others, the child will have the capacity to say and understand words. Also, a child can’t write or draw until he has developed the motor control to hold a pencil or crayon. Maturational patterns are innate, that is, genetically programmed.

14. 6 . Development proceeds from the simple (concrete) to the more complex Children use their cognitive and language skills to reason and solve problems. For example, learning relationships between things (how things are similar), or classification, is an important ability in cognitive development. The first level of thinking about how objects are alike is to give a description or functional relationship (both concrete thoughts) between the two objects. “An apple and orange are round” and “An apple and orange are alike because you eat them” are typical responses of three, four and five year olds. As children develop further in cognitive skills, they are able to understand a higher and more complex relationship between objects and things; that is, that an apple and orange exist in a class called fruit. The child cognitively is then capable of classification.

15. 7 .Early Development is more critical than later Development The environment in which children live during early formative years of life has a strong impact on their hereditary potentials. Favorable relationships with members of the family, liberal child training methods, a stimulating environment result in the development of better adjusted individual in the later life.

16. 8 . There are individual rates of growth and development. The human being never static. From the moment of conception to the time of death , the person undergoes continued and progressive changes. At every stage , some of the developmental changes are just beginning , some are at the peak and others are in the process of decline.

17. 9 .Development is sequential . There is a pattern of order and sequence in human growth and development. An individual develops from single cell to a fetus to an adult/old man or women; to sit then stand first before walking; to cry, coos, babbles, before being able to say “Ma-ma- ma”and “ Da-da-da ”.

18. 10. Development is Predictable Development is predictable, which means that with the help of the uniformity of pattern and sequence of development. We can go to a great extent, forecast the general nature and behaviour of a child in one or more aspects or dimension at any particular stage of its growth and development.  We can know the particular age at which children will learn to walk, speak and so on.

19. 11. The child development as a unified whole The child intellect is related to his physical well-being . Physical well-being is affected by his emotions and emotions are affected by his successes and failures in school and by the environment in the family . The child who are physically weak are slow in the development of mental processes also

20. 12 .Each Development takes place in stages The development of the child takes place in stages Each stage has certain unique characteristics and in each stage , certain type of behaviour or traits are more conspicuous than others. The entire period of Development is often break the lifespan into eight stages: Prenatal Development, Infancy and Toddlerhood Early Childhood Middle Childhood Adolescence Early Adulthood Middle Adulthood

21. 13. Each Developmental stage has certain characteristic trait There are some peculiar traits that are observed in children at a particular developmental stage and go away after some time .The child’s behavior should be understood against the expected behavior of his age.

22. 14 .There are period of accelerated growth and decelerated growth During babyhood and the early pre-school years the growth is rapid . During the school years , the growth rate decreases . Growth is again rapid during adolescence but physical growth tapers off during the later part of adolescence and by the time , an individual touches adulthood .

23. 15. Development is influenced by Heredity and Environment A child’s genetic inheritance (heredity) provides the basic foundation for many physical and personality attributes, but the influences of social , cultural , and familial variables (environment) also contributes to development.

24. 16 .Development proceeds at different rates or different behavior Development of mental and physical traits is continuous but is never uniform for the entire individual. Development of memory and understand is fast during childhood while abstract thinking , reasoning and capability to take decisions is as its peak during adolescence