Physical Development in Childhood: Fact or Fiction?

1. Introduction 2. Fact or Fiction? 3. Body Changes 4. Brain Development 5. Injuries and Abuse 6. Closing Thoughts

Introduction [Video: Physical Development Introduction]

Physical Development Fact or Fiction? Fiction Fact 1. By age 6, the child’s body is proportionately not very different from that of the adult. 2. Although the right and left hemispheres of the brain have specialized functions, cognitive skill requires both sides of the brain. 3. Accidents are the leading cause of childhood death. 4. Child maltreatment involves not only physical abuse, but failure to meet the child’s basic needs.

Growth Patterns How does the body change by age 6? A healthy 6-year-oldin a developed nation: Weight: 40-50 pounds (18-22 kilograms) Height: 3/12 feet (100 + centimeters) Adult proportions: legs equal half of total height 6-year-old 3-year-old

Eating Habits Is it normal for a young child to only want to eat the same thing all of the time? Young Children’s Insistence on Routine Score on “just right” survey items 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 Age (in years) 1 2 3 4 5 Source: Evans et al., 1997 “just right” principle: Although a sign of pathological obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults, a normal and widespread phenomenon among young children (Evans & Leckman, 2006).

What are some brain parts that develop during early childhood? Right hemisphere (cross-section) Cerebral cortex (outer layers) Corpus callosum Right hemisphere Axon fibers connecting two cerebral hemispheres Ultimate control and information-processing center Left hemisphere Frontof brain Thalamus Relays messages between lower brain centers and cerebral cortex Prefrontal cortex (outer layers) Hypothalamus Performs brain’s “executive functions” – planning, selecting, and coordinationg thoughts Controls maintenance functions such as eating; helps govern endocrine system; linked to emotion and reward Auditory cortex (on temporal lobe) Pituitary Master endocrine gland Conscious processing of sounds Visual cortex (on occipital lobe) Amygdala Neural centers in the limbic system linked to emotion Conscious processing of sights Spinal cord Pathway for neural fibers traveling to and from brain; controls simple reflexes Hippocampus A structure in the limbic system linked to memory Cerebellum Coordinates voluntary movement and balance Limbic system Cerebral cortex

Speed of Thought myelination: The process by which axons become coated with myelin, a fatty substance that speeds the transmission of nerve impulses from neuron to neuron.

Speed of Thought [Video: Brain Development Animation: The Process of Myelination]

Connecting the Brain’s Hemispheres What do the left and right hemispheres control? Left-sidedamage Right-sidedamage lateralization: Literally, sidedness, referring to the specialization in certain functions by each side of the brain, with one side dominant for each activity. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, and vice versa. corpus callosum: A long, thick band of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain and allows communication between them.

Planning and Analyzing Can children sort things onewayand then sort them anotherway? Sort by color Sort by animal

Emotions and the Brain What brain parts make up the limbic system? The HPA (Hypothalamus-Pituary-Adrenal Cortex) Axis Brain hippocampus amygdala hypothalamus hypothalamus CRH pituitary gland pituitary gland ACTH amygdala CORT CORT hippocampus Adrenal cortex Positive feedback loop Adrenal cortex Negative feedback loop amygdala: A tiny brain structure that registers emotions, particularly fear and anxiety. hippocampus:A brain structure that is a central processor of memory, especially memory for locations. hypothalamus:A brain area that responds to the amygdala and the hippocampusto produce hormones that activate other parts of the brain and body. pituitary gland:A gland in the brain that produces hormones when signaled by the hypothalamus.

Motor Skills What gross motor skills do young children develop?

Fine Motor Skills What fine motor skills do young children develop?

Gross and Fine Motor Skills [Video: Gross and Fine Motor Skills]

Avoidable Injury injury control/harm reduction: Practices that are aimed at anticipating, controlling, and preventing dangerous activities; these practices reflect the belief that accidents are not random and that injuries can be made less harmful if proper controls are in place. What are three levels of prevention for injury control? Primary Prevention Secondary Prevention Tertiary Prevention

Child Maltreatment Substantiated Child Maltreatment in the United States, 2000 and 2007 1,000,000 Total 750,000 Neglect Number of victims Physical abuse 500,000 Sexual abuse 250,000 Other* 0 2000 2007 * Other includes emotional and medical abuse, educational neglect and maltreatment not specified by the state records. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 20009 child maltreatment: Intentional harm to, or avoidable endangerment of, anyone under 18 years of age.

Closing Thoughts Imagine that a friend of yours has a toddler and also knows that you are taking a course in developmental psychology. If this friend asked what he should know about how his child will develop in the next several years, what hallmarks of physical development would you pointout to him? What gets in the way of healthy development?

Physical Development in Childhood: Fact or Fiction?

Physical Development in Childhood: Fact or Fiction?

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