Human Development Quiz

Introduction to Human Growth and Development

• Growth and development are defined as a dynamic ongoing process encompassing physiological and psycho-emotional changes throughout life.
• These processes are interconnected and impacted by genetic, endocrine, environmental, constitutional, and nutritional factors.
• The lecture aims to define growth and development, identify their importance, and outline principles, types, and affecting factors.

Objectives

• Students will be able to define growth and development.
• Students will be able to identify the importance of growth and development.
• Students will be able to mention the principles of growth and development.
• Students will be able to mention types of growth and development.
• Students will be able to list factors affecting growth and development.

Introduction

• Growth and development is the sum of physiological and psycho-emotional changes throughout life.
• These processes are interconnected and influenced by genetic, endocrine, environmental, constitutional, and nutritional factors.

Definition of Terms (Growth)

• Growth is the physical increase in size, primarily due to an increase in new cells.
• It also involves the change in size, proportion, disappearance of existing structures, and acquisition of new features.
• Growth is a quantitative change in the child's body (measurable aspects).
• Measurable parameters include weight (kg/pounds), height (meters/inches), head circumference, chest circumference and dental age.
• Assessment of tissue growth can include muscle mass, skin fold thickness, and bone age (radiological assessment of epiphysis).
• Histology is also an aspect of growth.

Definition of Terms (Development)

• Development is a progressive increase in skills or ability to function (qualitative change).
• It involves an increase in complexity through growth, maturation, and learning.
• A key example is language acquisition, which becomes more complex as the child matures.
• Development is a qualitative change in a child's functioning, more challenging to be measured objectively compared to growth.
• It is observable through behaviours.
• Development encompasses gross and fine motor skills, as well as personality and mental development.

Developmental Milestones

• Age-dependent milestones can indicate development, such as how an infant interacts with surroundings, their movements and gestures.
• Examples include smiling, waving, and playing with toys.

Types of Growth and Development

• Types of growth include physical (weight, height, head & chest circumference) and physiological (vital signs).
• Types of development include motor, cognitive, emotional, social, and moral/spiritual development.

Factors Affecting Growth and Development

• Multiple factors influence growth and development, acting as determinants.
• Factors include genetic predispositions, specifically sex and race.
• Prenatal factors include the intrauterine environment; maternal malnutrition; infection; substance abuse; and illness.
• Postnatal factors such as nutrition; childhood illnesses; family structure; socio-economic status; family and sibling numbers; play; intelligence; and hormonal influence also play a role.

Principles of Growth and Development

• Growth and development follow directional patterns (cepholocaudal, proximodistal, general-to-specific, and simple-to-complex.).
• Growth is not consistent, with periods of rapid and slow growth throughout life. Adolescence marks a period of increased growth rate.
• Growth spurts are periods of rapid growth.
• Development progresses from simple to complex patterns in children with experiences.
• Not all body parts grow at the same rate and same time.
• Individual differences affect development - each child progresses in their own unique way.
• Mastery of developmental tasks is not permanent.
• Developmental stages do not always correlate with chronological age.
• The rate of development is not consistent over time.
• Development depends on heredity and environment.
• Different developmental stages follow patterns and develop skills in succession.
• Development includes the concepts of cephalocaudal and proximodistal development or directional development.

Developmental Age Periods

• Prenatal period (germinal, embryonic, fetal).
• Infancy (neonatal, infancy).
• Early childhood (toddler, preschool).
• Middle childhood (school age).
• Late childhood/Adolescence (prepubertal, adolescents).

Importance of Growth and Development for Nurses

• Knowing what to expect from a particular child at different ages in terms of behavior.
• Gaining a better understanding of the reasons behind illnesses in children.
• Formulating specific care plans that suit the different stages of child development.
• Educating parents about ways to optimize a child’s growth and development at each stage.

Importance of Growth and Development for Parents

• Understanding what to expect during each stage of development helps parents better.
• Enhances anticipatory guidance and child safety.
• Helps parents recognize the difference between normal and abnormal growth and development patterns.
• Reduces parental worries/concerns by providing clarity concerning normal growth parameters.

Parameters for Assessing Growth

• Physical growth parameters, such as height, weight, head circumference, chest circumference, teeth eruption, dentition.

Specific Parameters

• Weight: an indicator of health, nutrition and growth. Newborns lose up to 10% of their birth weight in the first week, then gain 25-30g per day for the first 3 months and 400g/month thereafter. Infants double their birth weight by 4-6 months and triple it by their first birthday
• Length/Height: a measure of skeletal growth. Yearly increments are significant early in life then lessen as maturity approaches. Average length/height is 50cm for a newborn and increases to 60cm by 3 months, 70cm by 9 months, significantly increases with time.
• Head Circumference: indicates brain growth. At birth, average is 35cm and at 3 months about 40cm. By 6 months it is around 43cm; one year, 45cm; approximately the same as a grown adult by age 12
• Other measures include: BMI; mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC), and fontanelle closure.
• Fontanelle Closure: the posterior fontanelle closes first at around 6 to 8 weeks, the anterior fontanelle towards the 18 months mark. If closure occurs too early, craniosteosis (premature closure of skull sutures) could occur

Other aspects

• Osseous growth: Bone development follows a pattern, assessed via X-rays to identify ossification centers
• Types of growth include physical/physiological, cognitive/intellectual, emotional and social (psychosocial); speech and language

Growth Monitoring

• Mean/median values and percentiles are used.
• Weight-for-height and weight-for-age indices are important.
• WHO reference values are used.