Module 4

Study Notes

Physical Growth Patterns in Infancy

1 Month: Exhibits stepping reflex, can slightly lift head, can hold an object if placed in hand.
2-3 Months: Lifts head to a 90-degree angle when lying on stomach, begins to swipe at visible objects.
4-6 Months: Able to roll over, sit with support, and begin moving on hands and knees.
7-9 Months: Sits independently, crawls, and transfers objects between hands.
10-12 Months: Pulls self up using furniture, walks alone, can squat and stoop, engages in simple games like patty cake, displays early hand preference, and attempts to use a spoon with poor aim.
13-18 Months: Walks backward and sideways, begins running, rolls ball to an adult, claps, stacks two blocks, and manipulates small containers.
19-24 Months: Mastery of stairs using two feet per step, jumps with both feet, self-feeds with a spoon, and can stack 4 to 10 blocks.

Brain Development during Infancy

Synaptic Development: Rapid growth of dendrites and axons; synaptogenesis involves the creation of synapses primarily in the cortex during the early years.
Synaptic Pruning: Unused neural pathways are eliminated, refining the brain’s circuitry.
Rich Environments: Promote the creation of more neuro pathways, emphasizing the importance of sufficient stimulation for maximizing neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity: The brain's ability to adapt and change based on experiences.
Myelinization: Development of myelin sheaths around axons enhances electrical conductivity.

Reflexes and Behavioral States of Arousal

Adaptive Reflexes: Innate reflexes promoting survival, such as sucking and pain withdrawal.
Primitive Reflexes: Reflexes tied to the primitive brain, like the startle reflex, that typically vanish within the first year.

Sensory Abilities in Infants

Visual Acuity: Newborns have vision of 20/200 to 20/400, which improves significantly within the first year.
Tracking Ability: Early signs of visual tracking emerge before 2 months; skilled tracking develops between 6-10 weeks.
Auditory Acuity: Infants generally hear as well as adults, but may be less responsive to high-pitched tones.
Taste and Smell: Infants can distinguish all five basic tastes and have a well-developed sense of smell.
Sense of Touch and Motion: This is the most developed sensory ability in infants.
Habituation and Dishabituation: Infants show a tendency to become accustomed to stimuli (habituation) and can react anew to a familiar stimulus (dishabituation).
Operant Conditioning: Infants learn to associate responses with rewards or consequences through this process.

Description

This quiz explores the significant physical growth patterns observed in the first two years of a child's life. It covers developmental milestones from reflexes to independent walking, highlighting key developments at each age. Ideal for students studying child development or early childhood education.